Zombie Run
by SailorHexGirl
Summary: Human AU. What's worse then a Zombie apocalypse? Having to survive it! This will get bloody, dirty, kinky, and disgusting. Buckle-up guys, this is going to be a wild ride!
1. Chapter 1

**NOTE**: This is a fall back story for when I get writers block and updates wont be regular but they will come as they come.

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**Zombie Run**

**Chapter 1**

**Pearl**

Pearl frowned as she turned own the next ail in the gas station mart. She knows its only been a week since the zombie apocalypse happened and now Pearl was worried they waited too long to search for supplies. Zombie apocalypse. Pearl never thought she would catch herself thinking about it or actually surviving through it. This kinda thing only happened in movies, not in real life! But here she was, with her girlfriend, sneaking around in broad daylight like wannabe ninjas, looking for food and supplies.

Pearl came to a halt towards the end of the ail, stepping over a blood smear on the floor, before reaching out and picking up one of the few cans left on the self. "Canned peach's for dinner again! Honestly, who even likes these? Oh and look! There's even a box of Band-Aids left."

"Peaches and band aides." Jasper said rolling her eyes "That will help us fight of starvation and fix a bite. Were saved!"

Pearl let out a snort and Jasper smiled. If Pearl was being honest with herself if it wasn't for Jasper she would be dead. The world went to shit just last week and if Jasper hadn't run into the gym where Pearl was in the middle of her dance rehearsal she would of died with the swarm that burst through the side door. She barely had time to grab her bag on the way out. They hid in Jasper's truck in her garage for two days before almost dying by the three zombies that made it in. And now here they were, Pearl in her black leotard and stockings in ballet flats with a grey transparent skirt on her form and Jasper on her track uniform of booty shorts and tight sports bra. They looked anything but prepared, arm with nothing but Pearl's fencing sword and Jaspers metal baseball bat. Fortunately for Pearl, she had her real fencing sword on her that day. She was supposed to practice for a festival using the real sword while it was on fire. Now it served a different purpose.

Pearl turned around and handed Jasper the cans and Band-Aids to put in her backpack. As Jasper zipped up the bag Pearl caught movement a few ails down. She grabbed Jasper by the arm and dragged her down to the floor. She put her finger to her lips and made a 2 with her right hand before pointing to the back of the store. Jasper nodded and crept with Pearl to the end of the ail.

_Please don't be a runner. Please don't be a runner_, Pearl thought as she peered around the corner slowly. There were three types of zombies Pearl had be able to conclude. Runners, limpers, and crawlers. Crawlers were the zombies who pulled themselves along the ground unable to stand anymore. Limpers were the zombies who were unable to run but could still walk around. Then there were the runners. They were the worst zombies to come across. They were the ones freshly turned and could run full force at you. Your body stops you from running or moving to fast as to not hurt yourself, with that function in your brain gone the runners were free to move like super humans. They only lasted like that for about a week before turning to limpers. If they hadn't had anyone to chase they could last up to two weeks.

As Pearl peered around the corner a figure darted out and loomed over her. Pearl fell back on her butt in surprise as Jasper lunged ahead of her. The figure and Jasper's weapons clashed with a bang over there heads for a moment before a laugh echoed through the store.

"Jasper!" Bismuth said with a smile.

"Bismuth!" Jasper said back just as excited.

Both giants lowered there weapons and gave each other a soul crushing hug.

"I thought you two died at the school!" Bismuth said with a smile as Jasper helped Pearl to her feet "Sorry there P."

"I'm ok and Jasper was the reason I survived." Pearl said smiling up at her girlfriend.

"Like I could leave you behind." The giant smiled down at her as she wrapped her arm around her shoulders and kissed her head "Wasn't about to survive this hell without my songbird by my side."

Both giants laughed as Pearl's red face. The laugh didn't last long as a growl echoed through the store. All three girls crouched down and listened. They could hear more then one zombie shuffling into the store. As they moaned and groaned Jasper looked to Pearl and Bismuth did the same a bit confused. Pearl listened for a few moments before holding up 6 fingers. Jasper frowned and motioned for Pearl to get behind her and Bismuth as they crept back down the way they came.

_That's way too many for them to take out_, Pearl thought as she moved down to the last ail in the store. Pearl knew Jasper wanted her to get out the back door. She knew the slender dancer couldn't swing her sword and defend herself in the confined spaces of the ails. Pearl could hold her own in an open area, she had proven that fact at Jasper's when they first arrived by mowing down quite a few of her neighbors who were runners, but in here she wouldn't stand a chance.

As Pearl made it to the end of the ail she herd the zombies walking down against the far wall to her. She peeked around the corner to see Jasper and Bismuth hiding right below the front windows behind the ice-cream machine. They were completely oblivious to the zombies as they shuffled by them and into the store. Pearl was pressed right up against the glass door behind her as one shuffled out of the back room and right by her.

_Its like a whole bloody hoard in here! _Pearl thought as she lost track of the number of dead bodies out numbering the living. Pearl was frozen in place as she locked eyes with Jasper. They could read the fear in each others faces pretty well but it wasn't enough to stop her lover from acting first.

"Hey!" Jasper yelled jumping up and smashing the window behind her with her bat. "Over here!"

There was a roar as all the zombies in the store turned to Jasper and Bismuth.

"What are you doing?!" There friend yelled as she swung the metal pipe in her hand at a zombie who lunged at her.

"Run Pearl!" Jasper said smashing a skull in. "Will catch up with you!"

Pearl was frozen in place as the zombies swarmed Jasper and Bismuth. They were fighting them off slowly as they back there way out of the store. "Its like a whole swarm out here!" There friend yelled as Pearl lost sight over the body's getting in the way. Pearl was only able to move again when two Runners ran through from the back door and out the front of the store.

Pearl rocked to her feet and ran though the back. She didn't even fully step outside before being tackled to the ground. A Runner had body slammed her down hard enough for her head to hit the cement and to see stars. Pearl fought off the dizziness as a groan filled her ears. She held her fencing sword blade up as the zombie lunged down to bite her. It moved with so much force that it bit down around the blade and killed itself by severing its own jaw off clean through to the neck. Pearl grunted with effort as she twisted the body away from herself, getting sprayed with blood in the process.

_Ew ew ew_, Pearl thought as she got to her feet and shivered. _The one time I need a shower and I can't get one._

Pearl held her head as a sharp pain rocked through it but she bit her cheek and looked around. The few zombies she did see were headed to the boardwalk where her girlfriend and friend were fighting.

_I need to find somewhere to hide_, Pearl thought, _Somewhere she will think of me to go._

Pearl looked around for a few moment before spotting the lighthouse on the cliff in the distance. _Perfect_, Pearl though as she crouched down and quickly moved against the shop buildings. It took her about an hour between sneaking into every ally and behind cars she could find, mowing down several zombies in the process, before she reached the path up to the lighthouse. She quickly made her way up and paused at its base to glance behind herself. When she was sure she wasn't followed she turned back around.

_The house or the lighthouse itself?_, Pearl thought. The house had more windows and didn't seem all that safe but it had more then one way out where the lighthouse had only one way out but was going to be very hard to get into and out of if she got swarmed inside. When Pearl turned to the house she herd a groaned and a big bang on the door. _Lighthouse it is_, Pearl thought turning on her heals and quickly moving to the door, _If I get cornered I can always jump from the top and if I'm lucky, die on impact!_

Pearl quickly went inside and locked the door behind her. She leaned against it for a second before looking around for something to barricade it with. Something that wasn't too heavy for Jasper to move but not light enough for a zombie to fall into. After spying some boxes near by and make her barricade Pearl looked around. The lighthouse has stood in there quiet town for a long time. As evident but the thick layer of dust on everything it had also been abandoned...or so she thought.

As a high pitched moan filled the air Pearl looked around to see two sets of footprints that weren't hers in the dust. They both walked normal before one turned into the shuffling footprints of the dead. Pearl readied herself as she followed another groan around the center column of brick in the room. Pearl knew if it was just two zombies in here with her then it would be easy for her to take them out and by the size of the prints they appeared to be children.

_Slaughtering kids AND zombies_, Pearl thought, _This is just going __**swimmingly**_

Pearl used her dancer like skills to move silently. As she rounded the pillar she saw a girl crouched down facing away from her. By her growling and grunting Pearl knew what had happen. She debated leaving her for a moment before shaking her head. _She wont feel it. I can't leave her like this_, she thought. Pearl jumped around the corner and raised her hand to swing when a small figure jumped in front of her.

"Don't hurt her!" The figure yelled making Pearl stop. She looked down at the figure and let out a breath.

"Steven!" Pearl said dropping to her knees, forgetting her sword and the zombie, before hugging Steven tight. Steven was her God son, the son of her friend Rose who passed away when they were in eight grade, almost 5 years ago. Pearl couldn't help but cry a bit at knowing he was safe.

"How did you get here?" Pearl asked making Steven take a step back before looking him over "Are you hurt?"

"Me and Connie were out in the school yard for gym when those scary people started running at the school. One jumped on Connie but a teacher was able to get them off before they jumped on her instead." Steven said "Connie and me ran away and thought this was the best place to hide." Steven looked at Connie who was moaning on the floor. "She hasn't said anything for the past bit. I think she is sick Pearl. We need to help her!"

Pearl didn't have the heart to tell him what happened to Connie. She had a big bite mark on her shoulder and leg, which was bent at a bad angle. Pearl knew she was no threat but she didn't have the heart to tell Steven that she couldn't help her, that she was dead.

"Steven..." Pearl said picking her words carefully "Connie... is... sick. We need to leave her here until we find a doctor who can help her. Then we can bring them back here ok?"

Being so young Steven nodded his head in full trust of Pearl's lie. Pearl looked up to see the suns golden rays through the glass up top. "Lets head up and get some sleep."

"Can Connie come too?" Steven asked as Pearl stood up and picked up her sword. She glanced at Steven before looking back to Connie.

"We need to give her... a lot of space so she will get better ok?" Pearl said turning Steven to the far staircase she was happy was narrow and closed off to this floor "Head up top and wait for me right under the light. I'll make her comfortable before I join you."

Steven looked back at Connie and said goodnight to her before turning to the stairs. Pearl didn't move until she herd his steps disappear. She turned back to Connie and frowned. She had met her a few times before when babysitting Steven. She was a smart girl, very very smart. She had trouble making friends and Steven had no problem attaching himself to her side. They are inseparable. Were... Were inseparable. Pearl looked around for something to tie Connie up with it. She wanted nothing more then to end her suffering but she knew that it wasn't an option with Steven here. They had to walk by her in the morning to leave and Steven would want to say goodbye.

Eventually Pearl found a sheet and tied it around Connie's neck and then to the bottom of a table. She found another sheet and after cutting off Connie's good leg, making sure she couldn't move or get out, she laid the sheet over her to make it look like she was sleeping. When Pearl stepped away Connie looked up at her. Her once lively brown eyes help nothing but a glassy distant stair.

"I'm sorry Connie." She whispered.

Pearl turned and made her way up to where Steven was. When she reached the light part of the light house she saw Steven looking out over the town. Pearl said nothing as she shut the trap door behind her and opening her bag to pull out two thin blankets. Jasper had thought they wouldn't need them but Pearl being ever prepared brought them just incase. She set up one over the trap door and sat on it. If anything was going to come up and try to eat them they would be woken up before they had the chance.

"Steven, are you hungry?" Pearl asked pulling out two cans of peaches from her bag. Steven looked back at her and scrunched up his nose. "No thank you."

"This is all I have." Pearl said patting the seat next to her. "Were gonna need all the energy we have to find help tomorrow."

Steven made his way over and sat next to Pearl. As they silently ate there peaches the light in front of them started to buzz. Pearl frowned as she reached forward and unplugged the light before going back to eating. When Steven looked at her funny she swallowed before answering.

"The light will keep us up." She lied.

The truth was when the light house would click on it would draw all the zombies in the area to it. This caused the small town to be over run instead of disserted. Pearl looked down to the cliff and watched as a zombie stumble along before falling off. Pearl rolled her eyes at the dead's stupidity as Steven yawned. She moved the now empty cans off to the side before laying Steven down and covering him with the blanket.

"Are we safe here Pearl?" He asked sleepily as he fought to keep his eyes open.

Pearl smiled at him lovely "Yes. Nothing can get us up here."

Steven smiled as he let sleep over take him. When his breathing evened out Pearl looked over the town. Most of the town was dark except for the school and a few houses. Most of the houses and cars that were on fire had long since gone out or were just smoldering remains scattered around. Unlike the first few days the screams of the dying has died down greatly. It was almost eerie to hear the crickets in the air. It was almost like the world was at peace.

Pearl watched the few lights in town go dark, incasing the sea side town into darkness. The only source of light left being the moon. Pearl curled her legs up and looked up to the moon. She watched the clouds over head for a bit before a flash caught her eye. She brought her eyes down and looked over the darkened town. She frowned as she saw the flash again. Her eyes shifted beyond the town to the fields in the distance. Pearl uncurled her legs and watched for the flash again. She waited for a few minutes, almost ready to give up, when it happened once more.

_No way_, Pearl thought as she jumped to her feet. She quickly shuffled through her backpack and pulled out a flashlight. She slipped out onto the catwalk around the light and faced the direction she saw the flashes. She pointed the flashlight in the direction of the farms before flashing it once. It was a few tense moment before a flash came back in return. Pearl almost cried out in excitement. She flashed a simple code and waited for a response. When a response came in she cried out yes before covering her mouth.

Pearl almost started to cry as her and her friend Peridot started talking back and forth via mores code. Peridot lived out in the country with there friend Lapis in an old refurbished barn Peridot's parents owned. Peridot wasn't in school with Lapis the day the zombies came and she was certain they were dead.

'Per! I'm so happy your alive!'

'You too! Are you safe? What happened?'

'Zombies and yes. I have my god son with me.'

'Are you for real?'

'Are you guys safe?'

'Yea. We had a few wonder here but they left.'

'Good.'

'Can you get here?'

'I think so but it will take time.'

'Will be here. Be safe.'

'You too.'

Pearl smiled as she coded goodnight to them before going back inside. As she settled in behind Steven her mind wondered. Her thoughts jumped first to Bismuth and her stupidity. Why was she out alone like that? What about Jasper? Was she ok? They hadn't been apart since this all started and it made Pearl anxious. She didn't like being away from her. She gave Pearl a sense of comfort and confidence she didn't feel on her own. She also worried about what her girlfriend was doing. She tended to be reckless in her actions without Pearl's guidance. She was able to find trouble with the flick of her wrist when left to her own devices. If anything she was hoping that both of them were safe and made it out of the swarm in front of the store.

_Of course they made it out_, Pearl thought as she pulled Steven close and put her face into his hair, finally letting sleep take her tired body. _She wouldn't leave you like this._

**Jasper**

"Jasper, come on!" Bismuth yelled from further down the boardwalk.

"I'm not leaving her behind!" Jasper yelled as she smashed in another zombies skull while kicking another back.

Jasper was getting pissed off. She was pissed that she got loud with Bismuth in the store. She was pissed that she told Pearl to go hide while she tried to play hero. She was pissed that she got herself separated from Pearl. She was more pissed that there was too many zombies for her to fight her way back to her girlfriend.

Jasper growled as Bismuth called her again. She swung the bat hard before throwing one last glance at the store and turning on her heals to run. She caught up to Bismuth and soon both of them were running down the boardwalk. They flew by the fun land arcade and raced around the side of the pizza shop. Jasper took the lead as she ran to her truck and unlocked it. As Bismuth climbed in Jasper was looking around wildly for Pearl.

"She'll be fine." Bismuth said looking out the windows "Remember the first time you saw her fight? She was fierce!"

"I still worry." Jasper said despite a smile hitting her lips. She did remember the day she saw Pearl fight for the first time. She was being picked on by some classmates and had had enough of it. She broke one persons jaw and another's arm before the teachers were able to pull her off them. She did get in a lot of trouble but the family's didn't press charges and she wasn't picked on again. If anything it made Jasper quite impressed and worry a little less about her possibly getting beat up.

"Head to the school." Bismuth said as they both watched the zombies start to come around the arcade. "We need to get back before nightfall."

"Why the school?" Jasper ask as she brought the truck to life and backed out onto the street.

"We managed to close off the third floor. We can get in through a second floor window in the science wing. We blocked off the rest of the hall with the lab tables."

"Yay for school budgets." Jasper said glancing once more around for Pearl before driving off. It made her feel bad for leaving her behind but Bismuth was right. They needed to get into cover before nightfall. It was hard enough to survive during the day. Trying to do it at night would be a death sentence.

As they drove Bismuth had Jasper go the back way to the school. Jasper wasn't really contributing to the conversation as she drove. She was looking around and trying to figure out where she would start looking for Pearl tomorrow. She was smart. She would pick somewhere she could easily get in and out of. Somewhere that Jasper would think to look but she was too racked with worry to really concentrate.

"What're you thinking?" There friend asked as they turned down the street that lead to the school. As they drove Jasper hit zombies with her truck.

"Where Pearl would hide for the night." Jasper said as she swerved and hit a zombie full force "Boom 20 points!"

"I think that was the science teacher." Bismuth said looking in the mirror.

"Good. Bitch failed me last year." Jasper said making both of them laugh.

"Pull up around back." Bismuth said.

Jasper pulled up and drove around to the back of the school. Around back was the bus complex and it was a mess with blood. The buses were turned in a circle like a wall around the building. Bodies were piled around the outside, making a wall so crawlers couldn't get under the buses. Bismuth told Jasper to park her truck along the side of the school, her tailgate touching the brick. As they both climbed out Bismuth whistled up at the window the truck was parked under. After a few moments the window opened and a familiar face popped out.

"Bismuth!" Ruby said with a smile. "We were getting worried- Jasper?"

"Sup runt." Jasper said with a smile as she grabbed her bag from her back seat before climbing into the bed of her truck.

Bismuth followed and handed Ruby her bloodied pipe before climbing up. Jasper put her bag on her back as she looked around the complex. It was a good idea she had to admit. Lots of open space and escape exits incase of a hoard showing up.

"You gonna stand there all night or are ya commin up?"

Jasper looked up to see both girls leaning out the window smiling down at her. She smiled back and passed up her bat before climbing up. Once she was through Ruby shut the window and turned to Jasper. The smaller girl had a big dopey smile on her face as she hugged the giants leg. Jasper in return picked her up and put her on her shoulder. She followed Bismuth out of the classroom and up the staircase across the hall.

Ruby was Garnet's younger sister. If Ruby was here that means Garnet was too. She would never leave her to fight this whole end of the world thing by herself. To add to it if Ruby was here so was her best friend Sapphire. They were never far from each other. Like three sides of a triangle these three were never apart for long.

True to her thoughts as soon as Jasper walked through the doorway to the third floor a small pair of arms wrapped around her leg.

"Jasper!" Sapphire said looking up at her with a smile. "Your ok!"

"Course I am." Jasper said as she put Ruby down next to her friend as Garnet walked over "You think a few zombies could take me out?"

"Not without your other half." Garnet said coming over and ushering the girls away. When they disappeared into a class room Garnet turned back to her friend "Where's Pearl? I know you both made it out of here."

"We.. got separated." Jasper said a bit embraced "We ran into Bismuth at the corner store and got too loud. I almost got Pearl killed! I was able to get them all to focused on me but we couldn't get back in side."

Garnet put her hand on Jasper's shoulder and the giant frowned at her expression "She's alive."

"Jasper."

"She made. It. Out." Jasper said through a clenched jaw. "I'm going out tomorrow to find her. With or without-"

"Alright." Garnet said cutting Jasper off. "For now however lets get you checked out and warmer cloths. You look like hell."

"Feel like hell." Jasper said rolling her shoulders as Garnet turned and gestured for her to follow "Try sleeping in a truck for three nights."

"How did you know that this all happened?" Garnet asked.

"Was out on the track." Jasper said gesturing down at herself. "Saw the coach get taken down and several runners coming across the field. After that my first thought was to get my girl and run. Good thing I did, bunch of them burst through the gym doors as I dragged Pearl out."

"Where did you go?"

"My place. Went for my sister but she wasn't there. We were going to leave but got trapped in the garage for two days before they figured out we were in there. After that we drove around to secluded areas and slept in the truck in shifts. We were running low on food and thats how we ran into this big hunk of meat." Jasper said reaching over and hitting Bismyth in the shoulder. "What about you fusion? How'd y'all end up here?"

Garnet shrugged as they turned into a classroom that was a biology room turned into a makeshift medical bay. "I was on my way to the college for my Police training class. I lucked out that day." Garnet said tapping the gun on her hip after slightly moving her jacket. "Sit on the bed."

Jasper sat on the 'bed' which in all honestly was just a lab table covered with a blanket and pillow.

"When I pulled up to the college I could already see the chaos. I simply turned around and gunned it over to the middle school to get my sister and Sapphire. I didn't have time to tell them what was happening after the girls were sent up. All hell broke loose and I just got them to the car and drove off. We drove around for a day before coming back here." Garnet turned and leaned on the counter as a slender figure came over to them. "After coming back I found the lot here. After clearing out some of the school we barricaded ourselves up here, set up the buses out back, and have been held up ever since."

"Jasper!" A breathy voice and slender arms wrapped around the giants neck.

Jasper smiled and hugged the slender girl. "Nice to see you too there blueberry."

Pearl's twin sister Blue laughed as she gave Jasper a peck on the cheek.

"Where's Pearl?" The slender girl said looking around. Pearl's sister was considered legally blind without her glasses but even with her burry vision she could see her sister wasn't there.

"We got separated." Jasper said not able to look her in the eye. Before Blue could speak Jasper added to her words "I'm going out and brining her back tomorrow so don't worry. Pearl's the reason I'm still around so she will find somewhere safe for the night."

She wanted to add 'don't worry' to the end of her statement but she couldn't. She was filled with worry. She knew Pearl could handle herself but she had the ability to get absorbed in whatever she was doing and become oblivious to her surroundings. It's happened on more then one occasion, usually ending up with Jasper scarring her and her getting mad.

Blue made Jasper raise her arms as she gave her body a once over, putting a Band-Aid on her nose where she had a cut, before giving her a clean bill of health. After that Garnet show her around. The rooms closest to the staircase where used as sleep rooms. Then there was there med bay, weapons fix and holding room, makeshift lunchroom, and quarantine. When Jasper pointed it out Garnet frowned.

"We've had to put down over 13 people." Garnet said looking at the door before adjusting her police shades. "Once you get bit you have exactly 24 hours before you start to get sick and start to turn. It takes three days to fully die. We put them out when they start to get sick so they can't hurt anyone."

"How many of you are left?" Jasper asked as she followed them all to the far room they had set up to sleep in.

"Just us." Garnet said shutting the door behind them.

As they all got settled in Jasper counted that there was 14 makeshift beds set up and only the 6 of them in here. She shuttered at the thought of just how many people had to be put down before she got here. As she watched the sun set through the blinds Blue came up and sat next to her. Jasper opened her arm and Blue settled in right against her side but the bigger girl didn't mind. Blue has always been a clingy person, her loosing her sight slowly just amplified it. She was unsure of her doing it when Pearl and her first started dating but her girlfriend said it was normal. After a while Jasper paid no mind to it.

Jasper must of nodded off for only a few minutes but when she woke up she saw that Garnet wasn't with them. After blinking the sleep from her eyes she slowly detangled Blue's arms from around her own. She silently stood up and made her way out of the room, grabbing her bat just incase. Once out in the dark hallway she spied Garnet at the far end. As she came to her friends side she could see her looking out the window. Turning her gaze the same way she opened her mouth to speak but Garnet asked her unspoken question.

"The lighthouse is dark." Garnet said.

"Maby the powers out?" Jasper said looking at the dark tower in the distance.

"Maby not." Garnet said as they watched a flash from the top.

Jasper blinked and was about to ask if Garnet had seen the flash too when it suddenly happened again. Then again. Jasper watched as the flashing came in short bursts before going dark for a bit then flashing again. The giant frowned as she watched the flashing. There was no pattern to it and it definitely wasn't the lighthouse itself.

"What is it?" Jasper asked.

"Morse code." Garnet said with a smile in her voice. "I owe you an apology."

"What for?" Jasper said looking down at her.

"Looks like your songbird managed to find a place to hide _and_ her God son."

"Pearl." Jasper breathed out looking to the lighthouse again. As the flashing stopped her hand tightened around her bat. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to go and bring Pearl back now. Garnet sensed this and placed a hand on her arm. "She is safe for the night and we know where she is. It will make it easier to get to her in the morning when we can see."

Jasper couldn't help but stair at the darkened light house a bit longer before turning and following Garnet back to the others. As Jasper settled back in next to Blue. She watched Garnet hook a chair onto the door handle before going and laying down. Ruby and Sapphire were tangled together and when Garnet joined them they turned and clung to her. Bismuth was snoring away next to some cabinets while Blue reclaimed Jasper's arm silently. Jasper couldn't help but smile as she started to feel sleep take her. Pearl was safe and she knew where she was_. Just hold on Pearl_, Jasper thought as she drifted off, _I'm coming to get you._

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Note 2: I never really seen a zombie apocalypse for the Steven Universe AU so here we go! I always wondered what they would all do in this situation if they were human. I don't know where this story is going but it will be fun!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Pearl**

Pearl felt a small hand on her face as she came back to the waking world. She groaned a bit as a small hand pushed on her face again. "Steven." She said sitting up "I'm aw-" A tiny hand on her mouth silenced her.

Pearl blinked the sleep from her eyes as she looked down at Steven. He was shaking as tears were falling down his face. As if to answer her own question a low growl came from under Pearl as something scrapped against the trap door. She motioned for Steven to stay quiet as she reached for her bag. Pearl silently packed up all there stuff and put her bag on her back as the growl game again from below. Pearl moved as slow as she could to her feet while picking up her sword. She slowly moved and picked up the blanket they slept on. She turned and wrapped it around Steven's shivering body. Pearl pushed Steven gently behind the giant light before turning back to the door under her feet.

Ever so slowly Pearl stepped back off the trap door. She readied herself as she reached down slowly and grabbed the handle. She didn't have to pull the door open for it flew out of her hand and imbedded itself into the celling. Her and Steven couldn't help but scream in surprise as a huge monster tried to fit through the opening. It was nothing that Pearl had ever seen before. It was three times the size of a normal zombie and looked twice as mean. It had multiple eyeballs all over its head and two huge claw like arms. The only thing normal about it was that its legs still looked human.

Both Steven and Pearl stood there frozen as the monsters eyes looked wildly around the room. Pearl was frozen in place as its many eyes focused on her. It pulled itself into the glass space up here with them slowly. Pearl took note on how much it struggled to get through the opening. After it was through it walked over to Pearl and got really close to her. Pearl forgot how to breath as it took a huge breath. When it exhaled Pearl almost gagged but held it in. She was afraid to move.

A small whimper escaped Steven's lips and all the eyes turned in his direction. Pearl watched in horror as the monster turned and slowly walked towards Steven. It bumped into the glass wall and groaned a bit. When it leaned down to get a look at Steven he flinched away. This seemed to make the monster mad. It grumbled deep in its chest before rearing up. When it raised its hand up to the roof Pearl moved. She jumped at it, stabbing her fencing sword deep into its shoulder. The monster screeched and swung around, hitting Pearl and slamming her into the glass. She hit the glass so hard it cracked, hitting her head again, and making everything blurry.

"Steven, run!" Pearl screamed as the monster turned on her.

Pearl's world was spinning. Instead of one monster she saw three. She scrambled to her hands and knees as she felt something warm dripping down her neck. The monster drew back its clawed hand and sent it straight for Pearl's head. As the last second she dove out of the way.

"You leave my Pearl alone!" Steven called out throwing a peace of glass at the monster. The monster screamed and turned its attention to Steven. It tried to move but they all realized that its hand was stuck in the glass wall.

Pearl used this to her advantage and shot to her feet. She ran, grabbed Steven by the hand, and yanked him down through the trap door. Both of them flew down the stairs as fast as Steven's legs could carry him and as fast as Pearl could move with the world spinning. The last few steps Pearl lost her footing and tumbled down. She landed with a grunt and Steven was quick to start pulling on her arm.

"Pearl your bleeding!" Steven cried.

Pearl grunted in pain as she touched the back of her head. "I'm fine Steven. We need to go."

Pearl slowly got to her feet and tried to get the world to stop spinning. She could hear the monster screeching over head but another sound was starting to fill her ears. Pearl looked to her side and saw a giant hole in the wall that connected the house to the light house.

_That came through there?! _Pearl thought as she took Steven's hand. She pulled him quickly through the hole and into the mess that was once a house._ And I almost hid in here?! Oh stars._

Pearl quickly pulled Steven over to the front door. She flung the door open only to slam it shut again as several runners bodies slammed into it. Steven started to cry once more as Pearl pulled him away. She took him over the debris and through a broken door to what was once a bathroom. Pearl climbed up onto the cracked sink and looked outside. Determining the coast was clear she pulled Steven up next to her and helped him out the window. She heard the monster start thrashing around with shattering glass as Pearl pulled herself through the window and drop down on the other side.

Pearl stumbled as she heard the runners break down the door. She grabbed Steven and made a full on sprint for the tree line. She could hear the monster banging its way down the lighthouse loudly. She could also hear the swarm of zombies coming up the hillside. Pearl looked over her shoulder and saw a few zombies coming up into view. She didn't have time to really look before she disappeared into the tree line.

Pearl didn't stop running through the woods until she could see corn fields in the distance. She couldn't help but smile at realizing that her adrenalin allowed her to run five miles in full panic. She was more worried about how her head was pounding and how she was still alive after running so much. Running was usually out of her league. She wasn't the athletic type, that was all Jasper. She was more of the graceful ballerina type of girl, who could stab you in the eye with a sword but that was besides the point. More then anything she was just happy her and Steven were still alive.

Pearl felt like she was going to collapse as they came out of the tree line. Over the field of corn in front of them she could see Peridot's place. More importantly, she could see Peridot on the roof. Pearl smiled as she put Steven down and started waving her hands over her head. "Peridot!"

Both her and Steven waved over there hands as they slowly started walking towards the house. Pearl couldn't help but laugh when Peridot finally saw them. Her short friend was jumping up and down, waving back, before loosing her footing and falling on her butt.

Pearl was grinning ear to ear as Lapis came running out of the house and over to them. The slender swimmer fell to her knees and pulled Steven into a tight hug. She was crying as Steven laughed at her many kisses she left on his face. Pearl didn't stop moving as she walked by them, patting Steven on the head. She looked to the house to see Peridot running out and over to them.

"How did you guys get here?" Lapis asked catching up to Pearl with Steven in her arms.

"Pearl!" Peridot yelled tackling her taller friend to the ground. When Pearl cried out in pain Peridot quickly pulled back. "Pearl?"

"I'm ok." Pearl said touching the back of her head again, her fingers bloody when looking at them. Before Peridot or Lapis could say anything Pearl shook her head and looked to Steven, who had fallen asleep on Lapis' shoulder. "Let's get inside."

"Yea, you could use a shower." Lapis said as Peridot helped Pearl to her feet "And clean cloths."

"And an actual bed." Pearl mumbled.

Peridot did her best to support her taller friends as they went back to the house. As soon as they were inside Peridot helped Pearl up the stairs while Lapis laid Steven down on the sofa. As Peridot helped Pearl into the bathroom they could hear Lapis securing the door.

"What happened to you?" Peridot asked as she took Pearl's backpack from her. "You look like hell."

Pearl gave a quick expiation of what happened while letting Peridot help her out of her ruined dance cloths. After starting the shower and helping Pearl inside Peridot perched herself upon the counter.

"Who knew Jasper would be sensitive enough to save you before saving herself." Peridot said.

Pearl couldn't help but roll her eyes before sighing. Peridot and Jasper don't always get along and Lapis sure as hell didn't help with that either. Lapis and Jasper would always fight and Peridot would hold her tongue just enough to not ruin her friendship with Pearl. She always made it clear as to not liking Jasper but made it a bigger point that she wouldn't ruin Pearl's happiness, which the dancer was grateful.

"If it wasn't for her I would of died the day it happened." Pearl said. "I'm just hoping we can get to her again soon."

"Again?" Peridot said "After getting separated at the store will be lucky if she is a limper by the time she gets to us."

Pearl said nothing as she washed the blood off her body but the blood in her veins was boiling. Peridot knew it bothered Pearl when she would talk bad about her girlfriend but calling her a zombie was drawing the line. Pearl was tired, irritated, and shaking from everything that happened that morning. She was at her limit.

"Get out." Pearl spat over the water.

"What?"

"Get! Out!" Pearl screamed throwing the closest thing she had out of the shower. Pearl didn't stop throwing things until Peridot had shut the door and run away screaming. The door only opened one more time before Pearl was left alone to clean up. After her shower and throwing on a pair of borrowed shorts from Lapis and a baggy shirt from Peridot, she slowly took her stuff and went to join the others down stairs. As she moved she could hear there conversation.

"I'm surprised she didn't get them both killed." Pearl heard Lapis say as she made her way slowly down the stairs. "That big brute isn't exactly graceful. Do you think she's still alive?"

"Pearl seems to think so and she usually isn't wrong." Peridot answered.

"Herd her yell at you. Must of made her mad huh."

"Mad is an understatement. She threw everything we had in the shower at me."

"Good thing her arm sucks." Lapis snorted making Peridot laugh.

"Can't help it. She's fun to pick on." Peridot said and Pearl could just hear the shrug in it "But she's my best friend and your friend as well. I'm just happy she's alive."

"Steven too. Can't believe Connie turned though." Lapis said softly "Who else do you think didn't make it?"

After a few moments of silence Pearl came into the living room and sat down. The other two looked at her a bit surprised but she waved them off. "How did you guys survive?"

Peridot shrugged "We were running late because _someone_ couldn't wake up on time." Peridot said glaring at Lapis for a second before continuing "We got to the end of the driveway, saw several zombie chase down and eat the mailman, then turned around to come back. We barricaded ourselves in here ever since."

"How did you know I was at the light house?" Pearl asked as she touched the back of her head again and winced.

"I didn't." Peridot said coming over and grabbing Pearl's head, tilting it down to look at her wound. "When the light house didn't light up I figured someone either unplugged it or- good god Pearl what happened?!"

"OW!" Pearl snapped as Peridot poked the back of her head. "I got tackled by a runner then thrown into the glass of the light house by a monster."

"Is that that thing you saw a few days ago?" Lapis asked as Peridot let Pearl's head go and walked away.

"Mhmm." Peridot said walking into the kitchen "Its huge."

"I don't know how it got in the house but it burst through the light house wall and almost killed me and Steven." Pearl said as Peridot came back in with a first aid kit.

"I saw from here." Peridot said. "That's why I was on the roof. I was worried you were going to get killed by the hoard that was running up the hill."

"Thank my adrenalin rush for running me and Steven the whole way here-Peridot that hurts!"

"Its going to hurt! You have a big gash in the back of your skull!" Peridot snapped twisting Pearl around and parting her hair "Now hold still while I pull the glass out and sew you shut."

Pearl frowned as she felt Peridot slowly start to sew her wound closed after several painful minutes of glass pulling. She twitched as her and Peridot traded insults while Lapis sat there snickering to herself. After Peridot was finished patching Pearl up she handed her and icepack as she packed up her box.

"So what's the plan?" Lapis asked.

"I'm going to leave Steven with you guys and go look for Jasper." Pearl said.

"By yourself?" Lapis questioned.

"Pearl! That's a horrible idea!" Peridot snapped. "You can just stay here."

"For how long?" Pearl snapped back making her head hurt. "Food won't last forever and stars knows when and if that thing will come back. The worlds gone to shit and we can't stay here forever... Its not safe. Especially for Steven."

The others were quiet as Pearl looked away to the floor. "I've watched so many people die... Friends, collages, neighbors... The amount of people I've had to slaughter. Beach City isn't safe anymore."

They sat in silence for a bit before Lapis spoke up. "So then what do we do?"

"Pack the house up. Take things that we will need and stay here for as long as we can before we need to go." Pearl said.

"Then what?" Peridot asked.

"We survive." Pearl said locking eyes with her friends. For all there fights and disagreements she knew Lapis and Peridot were down for whatever she wanted. Even if that meant leaving the safety of there bubble here then they would. No one wanted to die and no one wanted to watch someone else they cared about be turned to the undead.

The sound of tires on dirt suddenly came to the girls ears. Lapis and Peridot frowned while Pearl looked shock. As if in slow motion Pearl put the icepack down and went to the front door. Her friends came up behind her as she opened the door. Pearl covered her mouth and started to cry as Jasper's truck roared up the driveway towards them.

"I was wrong." Peridot said as Pearl ran and jumped off the porch. "Looks like nothing can kill the giant."

**Jasper**

Jasper groaned at the light in her face. She sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. When she opened them again she saw that she was alone. She slowly got to her feet, stretching her arms above her head, before going to the door. Poking her head out she saw Ruby and Sapphire running from room to room playing some game while Blue was perched on the windowsill down the hall.

"You sleep better then the dead." Garnet said coming out of the room across the hall.

"Rather sleep like the dead then a jumping mess in the back of my truck." Jasper said cracking her neck "When can we leave?"

"After you eat something." Garnet said offering Jasper a wrapped sandwich. It was the gross kind from the lunchroom but it was better then the nothing but peaches her and Pearl have eaten the past three days. "And change your cloths."

Garnet gestured for Jasper to follow her as she turned away. Jasper scarfed the sandwich down as she followed Garnet across the hall. The giant smiled when she saw her cloth sitting on the table.

"Figured the school uniform would be more comfortable then your track suit." Garnet said.

"Wasn't easy getting down to the locker room but there's not too much blood on it." Bismuth said.

Jasper gave them a thumbs up past a mouth full of food before getting dressed. There school had a basic white and black uniform scheme that everyone hated. All the girls had to wear skirts while the guys had to wear suit jackets along with both genders wearing a tie. The school had tried to get Jasper to wear the girl uniform but after punching one of the teachers who had tried to force it on her the school let it go. Jasper put the button up shirt on her form and ripped the sleeves off, earning a chuckle from Bismuth who had done the same to her uniform. Jasper then pulled the pants on and ripped them just above her knees into shorts. She was already feeling much better by the time she took the tie and used it as a makeshift hairband, pulling her wild mess of white hair back out of her eyes.

"Now I'm ready for the hoards." Jasper said punching her hand.

Garnet smirked as Bismuth gave her a fist bump "All right there big guy. Lets get ready and head out."

They spent most of the morning packing up everything they had into backpacks and grabbing there weapons. Jasper kept her bat resting on her shoulder as she looked around at the others while they walked down to the staircase. Bismuth had her pipe, Garnet had her gun but was using a cricket bat as her primary, Ruby had a crowbar where Sapphire had a tire iron, and Blue had the broken end of a mop handle.

"Your not going to kill jack with that blueberry." Jasper said to Blue as they descended the stairs.

"This was all that was left." Blue said gently as they walked across the hall to the classroom they had climbed into packing up they decided that staying here was going to be a bad idea. More and more of the dead were coming around the school every day and Garnet didn't know how long there makeshift walls would hold them back of they got up to the third floor. She was able to draw a few away the day before but they kept coming back in bigger numbers. Leaving now would be the safe thing to do.

"That's going to be a problem." Garnet said.

Jasper followed her gaze out the window and stumbling around in the soccer field was this massive hoard of zombies. If it wasn't the apocalypse it would look like they were gathering for a pep rally instead of massive undead party for human flesh.

"We should be fine." Jasper said "If we move quietly we should be able to get out of the parking lot before being seen." They all looked at Jasper funny who shrugged before walking over and opening the window "Were fine as long as there's less runners then there are of us."

Jasper went out the window first. She held onto the windowsill and hung there for a bit before letting go and dropping down to the bed of her truck. With a big thud Jasper froze. Dropping was louder then she thought. Jasper turned around slowly and stood perfectly still. To her horror every zombie in the field had froze in place. Jasper didn't think about how loud it was going to be to drop straight down considering there was NOTHING else making a single sound. As if someone hit play it only took one zombie running towards them to cause a chain reaction.

"Move." Jasper yelled. "Move!"

Jasper jumped off the bed of her truck and yanked the truck door open. Soon a rhythmic bang was felt on the bed of the truck as the others dropped down one by one. Jasper jumped into the drivers side as Bismuth was helping the others into the truck. As the truck roared to life an equal chorus or roars answered back.

"Hurry up!" Jasper yelled as the others filtered into the truck. Jasper was gripping the steering wheel hard as she watched the first few zombies run full force into the buses, rocking them where they sat. The roars from there dead lips was becoming defining as the truck doors shut.

"We need to go." Jasper said.

"Wait." Garnet said.

"What do you lean wait?" Jasper snapped glancing back to see Blue holding Ruby and Sapphire close as Garnet was loading her gun, hanging out the window. Bismuth was jumping into the truck with a big frown on her face.

"Garnet." Jasper growled.

"Not yet." She said. "They need to get closer."

"Closer?" Jasper growled revving the engine as the first dozen zombies managed to move a bus just enough to poor through into the compound. "If we die I'm biting you first fusion."

"Garnet." Bismuth cautioned "W-We need to move now."

"Wait." She said. "Just a little closer."

"Garnet." Jasper growled itching to just not listen.

"Go! Go! Go!" Garnet yelled.

No sooner did Jasper hit the gas did Garnet fire her gun. It only took one bullet and soon a ring of fire circled the compound. Garnet was holding onto the roof rack with one hand and fire her gun with the other as Jasper floored it towards the exit. As Jasper hit a speed bump Ruby and Sapphire yelled, lunging for Garnets leg, and grabbing tight. Garnet yelled almost falling out of the truck but her steel grip on the roof rack, and the tiny arms around her legs, kept her in place.

"Jasper!" Garnet snapped as the giant whipped the truck out of the parking lot and down the street. "Hurry!"

"Just hold on!" Jasper yelled as she put the gas petal to the floor.

Jasper drove with reckless abandonment through there quiet town towards the light house. When they reached there destination Jasper's stomach dropped to her feet. The house and the lighthouse looked like it would collapse at any minute. There was a huge hole in the lighthouse where the door should of been. There was glass everywhere and the house was partially collapsed. As they quietly pilled out of the truck they were looking around carefully.

"There's so much destruction and not a single zombie here." Sapphire said.

"What could of done that?" Bismuth said as Jasper grabbed her bat and practically ran into the light house. The others were yelling at her to wait but she wasn't listening. Jasper heard a moaning sound and walked around the center collom slowly. She heard Garnet join her as they came across a zombie on the ground. Jasper was about to swing when she paused.

"Don't." Jasper said placing a hand on Garnet's gun. "She can't hurt us."

Jasper took in Connie on the floor. She reached down and pulled the sheet away to see that the zombie child was tied by the neck to the table, both her legs cut off. The only reason Pearl would of left Connie like this was because of Steven.

"Even in the apocalypse, Pearl will still do anything for Steven." Garnet said as Jasper turned away.

Knowing that Pearl was possibly here got her blood pumping. There was only one other place she could be. Ignoring the giant hole into the house Jasper ran up the stairs to the top of the light house taking the stairs two at a time. Jasper called Pearl's name when she came threw the hatch but only silence answered back. Jasper felt like she was going to puke. As she looked around she didn't want to believe her eyes. It was a mess up here. The lighthouse light was folded in half, there was a giant hole through one of the glass panels and another was cracked with blood splattered on it.

"Garnet." Jasper sounded so broken when she heard Garnet join her. The look on her face almost had Garnet break too. Jasper tried to look anywhere but at the blood in the room. There was just so much and Pearl and Steven were so small...

"She's alive." Garnet said placing a hand on Jasper's shoulder. Jasper couldn't say anything and Garnet felt the need to continue. "If they were dead where are there bodies? There's a lot of blood but its not there's, look." Garnet pointed at the light then the hole on the glass "That blood is black and green. We don't bleed black and green. The only sign that they were hurt is the cracked glass. That's the only red blood here. With the lack of body parts and blood splatter they got out alive." Garnet then pointed the blood trail on the stairs Jasper missed coming up here in a hurry "They got away while whatever left this dark blood left as well."

Jasper nodded and shook the dark thoughts from her head. _Focus_, Jasper thought as she looked around again, _Where would she take Steven?_

"Who lives that way Jasper?" Garnet asked.

Jasper looked at the direction Garnet was pointing to have her toothy grin come back. "Peridot. Her and Lapis live out in the country."

Garnet simply smiled as her and Jasper turned on there heals and went back through the hatch. As they wound there way down the staircase Jasper's eyes were glued down. She was following the drying red blood as it left a thin trail across the stone. As they reached the bottom Jasper's eyes followed its trail into the giant hole in the wall to the house. Whatever came through there was big, bad, and her girlfriend was probably happy she made it out at all.

"Well?" Bismuth said as Jasper and Garnet came back out to them.

"Not here." Garnet said.

"Then?" Bismuth asked looking confused as they all climbed back into the truck.

"There at Peridot's." Jasper said turning the truck on and backing up before turning around.

"Peridot's? How do you know?" Ruby asked.

"Last night the light house didn't turn on." Garnet said "Me and Jasper watched a flashing light from the top. It was mores code and Pearl was talking about going to Peridot's. She isn't here and by whatever messed up the lighthouse she must of left with Steven early."

"She has Steven?" Blue asked softly.

Garnet hymned as Jasper hit the gas. As they drove out to the country her and Bismuth were having a little too much fun. Bismuth was hanging out the window with her pipe and smashing it against zombies heads as they drove by. Ruby was counting the hits with Sapphire while Jasper was slamming into body after body. They couldn't help but laugh because despite everything, they were still able to smile and enjoy this moment.

Jasper couldn't wipe the smile from her face as they turned down the dirt road to Peridot's. The road was rough and full of holes so Jasper couldn't help but laugh as the others bounced around the truck, telling her to slow down. Well, the older ones did. The kids were laughing at the ride while Blue tried to hold them down. Bismuth had one hand on the dash with the other on the grab bar above her head.

Jasper had tunnel vision the second the house came into view. She watched the front door swing open as they got close. Jasper slammed on the breaks as Pearl flew out the front door and jumped down the porch. Jasper didn't even put the truck in park before jumping out. The others yelled at her as she ran full force at her girlfriend.

Perl was in tears as they slammed into each other. Jasper couldn't help but let one slip down her cheek. She could feel Pearl gasping for air a bit from how tight Jasper held her but she didn't care. She was just so happy she was safe and in her arms again. She was so afraid that she lost her. So afraid that whatever attacked her at the light house had taken her. To have Pearl here, breathing in her arms, she could never be thankful enough.

"Thank the stars your ok." Pearl breath as Jasper put a hand on the back of her head just to yank it back. When Jasper saw the blood on her hand she looked down at Pearl who just shook her head. "I'm fine. It's not a bite. Peridot stitched me up. I got hurt at the lighthouse."

Jasper searched Pearl's eyes in fear as the others finally came over to them. Japer only looked away from Pearl when Bismuth handed her her bag and bat. "Lets get inside." Her friend said as they all turned to the house "I feel like a sitting duck out here."

As the sun started to set the lot of them were gathered in the living room. They had barricaded the house and had just finished packing everything up to leave. They were debating where to go in the morning when Pearl and Blue came back into the room.

"Steven and the girls are finally asleep in the back room." Blue said softly as her and Pearl went over to Jasper and Bismuth. Jasper pulled Pearl into her lap as Blue sat sandwiched between the giants on the floor. Peridot was lounging on the sofa with Lapis' head on her lap as Garnet leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

"We could go back to the school." Peridot said "Since you had it secured."

"The zombie's found us on our way out this morning thanks to thunder thighs landing." Bismuth said throwing her thumb at Jasper. Jasper felt her face get a little red from embarrassment. "We had to set off our last defense for us to get away."

"Last defense?" Peridot questioned.

"We set up a fire ring and set it off as they pored into the bus compound." Garnet said.

Jasper felt Pearl laugh against her and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "I'll show you thunder thighs later with that laugh babe." She cooed in her dancers ear. "I'll make you louder then the dead." Only when Pearl's blush touched her ears did the giant lean back with a big smile. Pearl tried to lean away but Jasper just tightened her hands around Pearl's waist and pulled her back. Since coming into the house neither girl had strayed far from each other. It was almost like a dream and Jasper feared that if she lost sight of Pearl that it would all be for not and she would wake up at the school again, alone.

"I want to stop by the carwash." Pearl said. "I need to see if Greg is alive."

"You don't like him though." Jasper said.

Pearl gave her a glance before looking away. "It's for Steven. Most of his things are there anyway."

Jasper didn't push the subject further. She knew Pearl had a deep seeded hatred for Greg. He took her best friends heart and life because he couldn't keep it in his pants. The only reason she got within 20 feet of the guy was because of Steven. She absolutely adored him. The little guy had Pearl wrapped around her finger and Jasper would be lying if she said she wasn't the same. They all were. Jasper had some respect for Greg though, unlike her girlfriend. After they found out Rose was pregnant he talked to the school, was able to do night classes to stay up with his education, and got a job at a carwash. He really stepped up to everyone's surprise. Even more surprising Greg and Pearl worked out that Steven would "technically" live at Pearl's address so Greg wouldn't loose him to the state. He would stay at Pearl's every other weekend and full time when it got too cold in the winter. Other days he stayed with Greg in his van at the carwash. Steven was always happy healthy and well taken care of so Pearl had little to complain about.

"We could head to the city." Lapis suggested.

Garnet shook her head as Peridot spoke up "City populations are the first to fall in apocalyptic situations. Too many people in a single area. Its a keg pot for the undead and disease to spread. Were safer out here in the country."

"What's gonna happen when there's no more living in the city's?" Garnet said. "Those who made it out are going to head out this way. The zombies will follow."

"Then the best time to go will be in the next few days." Peridot confirmed "The number of zombies will be at its lowest then if were following your logic."

"Wait, why are we going to a city?" Bismuth asked "What's the point? There's nothing really in the city's we could use for ourselves. Even if there is its more then likely already scavenged and gone."

"For help." Blue said gently.

"If any help is going to come then it will be in the city's first." Jasper said "There are plenty of buildings. We could secure one and make an S.O.S on the roof."

"But with all the noise it will attract everything back." Bismuth countered "Its a death trap."

"Boat." Pearl said making everyone look at her. "We can get on a boat. Zombies can't swim and we can stay along the coast but we can't stay here another day."

"Why not?" Lapis asked board "Think we can't handle a few zombies?"

"Its not the zombies I'm worried about..."

Jasper frowned a she saw the look on Pearl's face. She looked genuinely terrified. "What are you worried about?"

All eye saw the haunted look cross Pearl's face as a shiver crawled up her spine. "You guys went to the lighthouse first right? Then you saw what that..._thing_ did. Its claws are sharp, its multiple eyes tracking your every movement... Its roar calls the other zombies to it." Pearl looked a thousand miles away "I rather die then ever fight that thing..."

They were all quiet. No one knew what to say to Pearl's words and no one wanted to think about the monster she just described. How could a monster like that exist? Jasper had seen the blood and the damage but couldn't wrap her head around this thing. How had none of them seen something that big and scary around town? It's not like there town was huge. Where could this thing of been hiding? In the house connected to the lighthouse? If so how did it get in there? For how big the holes were there was no way it got in there on its own.

"Will head to the dock in the morning." Garnet said after a long silence. "For now lets shower then sleep. If we tend to get there and avoid Pearl's monster we need to be well rested to run."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Pearl**

Peridot was good at dividing the rooms up. Her and Lapis slept in Peridot's room while the kids and Garnet took Lapis' room. Bismuth and Blue took one guest room while Jasper and Pearl took the other. The whole house was a bit funny in its layout, being a refurbished barn, but it was nice to have a bit of distance between the rooms, something Jasper was going to take full advantage of.

As Jasper pulled Pearl into there room for the night Pearl was lost in thought. She was worried about the monster from the light house. Those eyes were burned into her skull. She was hoping that it wasn't going to find them before they got to the dock in the morning. Pearl wasn't paying attention to what Jasper was saying as they dumped there bags next to the door until Jasper's fingers wrapped around Pearl's waist.

Pearl gasped in surprise as Jasper kissed right behind her ear. "What's on your mind?" Her girlfriend asked from behind.

"That monster." Pearl said wrapping her arms around Jasper's "What if it comes back? What if it followed us? What if-"

Pearl was cut off with Jasper pressing her fingers into her hips. Pearl's knees gave a bit as Jasper kissed behind her ear again. Pearl bit her lip as she felt herself getting hot. Her hips were such a turn on spot.

"That thing won't get you babe." Jasper said into her ear "Your safe with us."

"But Jasper." Pearl said twisting around in her arms. Pearl didn't get to finish her sentence because Jasper's lips against hers had her suddenly distracted. Pearl melted into Jasper's figure as the giant trailed kisses down her jaw.

"Your heads full of worry." Jasper growled into Pearl's neck "Let me help you clear it."

"T-That's cheating." Pearl said holding back a moan as Jasper bit her neck gently. She was un-shamefully turned on. When she would become a worried mess Jasper would help distract her with jokes or games or maby a nice day out to her favorite places but after there first time, she had no problem turning Pearl into a moaning mess and the slender dancer welcomed it every time. Jasper was a rough lover but knew how to be gentle when she knew Pearl needed it. She always let Pearl set the pace though for it was a turn on for her.

Pearl managed to detangle herself from Jasper's arms enough to get them onto the bed. She had Jasper leaning against the head board before she climbed up onto her lap and kissed her gently. Jasper's arms were soon wrapped around her waist again, holding her in place. They kissed for a bit, hands wondering, light touches, until Jasper turned Pearl's head to the side to tug on her earlobe with her teeth.

"We don't have too if you don't want." Jasper whispered in her ear as her fingers ran up Pearl's sides, making her girlfriend shiver "Though I think my cloths look better on you then there's."

Pearl snorted before kissing Jasper again and tugging on her bottom lip earning herself a moan from the giant. "Really? Because I prefer them on the floor personally."

Jasper's face turned red and Pearl knew she had won that argument. Taking advantage of Jasper's surprised state Pearl ran her hands up her abs before unbuttoning her girlfriends shirt. Having only two buttons done up worked for Pearl. She easily made work of them before pulling Jasper's shirt open and pressing her lips to her neck again.

"Must be nice to finally rip your uniform up huh." Pearl purred into Jasper's neck after marking her already dark skin. She felt Jasper dig her fingers into her sides and it made her arch her back, pressing into her more.

"Not as fun as ripping yours off." Jasper growled back grabbing Pearl's wrists and pinning them behind her back, giving herself a moment to collect her thoughts. Pearl thought it was cute. If she got her flustered enough Jasper would just melt in her hands but its seemed that the giant didn't want to play nice.

Pearl bit her lip to hold back the moan in her throat with little success as Jasper leaned forward and bit down on her neck, leaving a deep mark on her ivory skin. Pearl's breath hitched in her throat as Jasper's fingers clawed down the arch of her back. "A-And you call me a t-tease." Pearl said exhaling sharply.

Jasper couldn't help but chuckle into Pearl's neck as she brought Pearl's hands from her back as she flipped over, pinning the slender dancer to the bed. She smiled down at her with her toothy grin and had Pearl biting her own lip in return. Pearl rolled her hips up into Jasper making the giants face redder.

"Because you are." Jasper said kissing Pearl's forehead before trailing down her cheek.

"Prove it." Pearl challenged as Jasper let go of her hands. Pearl's finger tugged Jasper's shirt off her shoulders as the giant pressed her knee up and in-between Pearl's legs.

"With pleasure." Jasper growled slamming her lips into Pearl's once more, pulling her up and helping her out of both there cloths.

**0**

Pearl doesn't remember when they had finished, put cloths back on, or when Steven had joined them, but Pearl woke up to being tangled up in Jasper's arms and legs with Steven wedged between them. Pearl took a deep breath and put her face back into Jasper's neck but before she could fall back asleep a sound came to her ears. A sound that her blood run cold and her body freeze in place.

Pearl slowly lifted her head to look over Jasper's shoulder. Pearl forgot how to breath as she saw several eyes looking into the window. They looked all round in different directions as if it was looking for something. Pearl hadn't realized she was shaking or that she had woke Jasper up until she felt her girlfriend take her hand. She looked down at her and her face gave her away. A look of fear clung to Pearl and Jasper went rigged as well.

Pearl's eyes shot back up to the window as a growl came again. She felt a tear fall down her cheek as she watched a clawed finger raise and scrape down the glass, filling the air with a screeching sound for only a moment. It only took that moment for Steven to stir. He moved and went to speak but Jasper moved her free hand and clamped it over his mouth. Steven was fully awake in seconds. Pearl felt him start to shake as he looked up at her.

Pearl couldn't hide the fear on her face as the monster looked in the window again. She herd Steven whimper past Jasper's hand and it felt like forever until the monster finally moved away from the window.

"I-It found us." Pearl's voice whispered past a hitch.

Pearl slowly got out of bed an made her way over to the window. It was like walking on egg shells. The floor creaked under Pearl's feet as she moved. When she reached the window she felt Jasper come up and take her hand. Both girls looked out and saw the monster moving further down the side of the house. It would stop, look in a window for a bit, before moving on.

"It that what I think that is?" Jasper whispered in Pearl's ear. "In its shoulder?"

Pearl could only nod in response. Sticking out of the monsters shoulder, shining in the moon light, was the handle of Pearl's fencing sword. The monster would stop every feet few and growl, trying to scratch the sword from its flesh before going back to looking into windows.

"I-I don't understand." Pearl whispered as Jasper squeezed her hand tight.

She looked at Jasper as the giant reached up and ran her hand through Pearl's hair. When she took her hand back there were a few drops of blood on her skin "It tracked you."

Pearl looked to the clock on the wall to see it read just after 4am. Pearl looked back to Jasper for a moment before going across the room. Jasper questioned what she was doing as she got herself ready. As Pearl put her shoes on Jasper quickly grabbed her arm before she could get to her feet and go to the door.

"You got me _messed_ up if you think I'm letting you go outside with that **THING** walking around." Jasper growled quietly.

"I need to see where its going." Pearl said back "If it tracked us here that means its tracking me. It doesn't think you all are here."

"Pearl-"

"If I can distract it at the back of the house then you can get everyone in the truck. I can run through the house and reach you before it can get me. Then we can get away."

"That is a horrible idea!"

"I don't see you coming up with a better one!" Pearl snapped "And besides do you want the others to wake up to that monster walking around the house in the morning? I don't think they can stay quiet like us."

"Pearl."

"I need to do this! I don't want you all to die."

"I don't want you to die either!" Jasper said a bit too loud. The giant grimaced as she looked away for a second, getting control of her voice again "Please Pearl... Seeing the lighthouse, I thought you were dead. I can't loose you like that ok? So if your going to do something stupid." Jasper let go of Pearl's arm and took her hand "Then let me be stupid with you, ok?"

Pearl looked shocked at Jasper.

"Don't cry Pearl." Jasper warned planting a kiss on her head.

Pearl felt the tears come to her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Pearl nodded before looking to Steven, who was shivering on the bed, before looking back to Jasper. "Wake the others, we mite need to run earlier then we thought. Give Garnet your keys. Help them get everything in the car before coming to the back door." Pearl leaned up and pecked Jasper on the cheek "Since you wanna be dumb with me."

"Can't let you be dumb alone." Jasper said with a smile.

Jasper quietly got ready as Pearl went back over to the bed. She pulled Steven into her arms and gave him a tight hug before pulling away.

"Steven." Pearl said gently "I need you to go wake Garnet up ok? I need you to do it quickly and quietly. The monster from the light house is back and I need you to be brave. Can you do that Steven?"

Steven was shaking but wiped the tears from his eyes. "I can!" He said giving Pearl his version of a tough face. "Serious Steven, activate!"

Pearl quickly covered his mouth as he got loud but let out a small chuckle. "Your so brave."

Pearl gave Steven a kiss on the head before helping him off the bed. All three of them shuffled out of the room quietly. As Jasper shut the door behind her Pearl reached out and death gripped Steven's shirt. At the far end of the hallway they could see the monster looking in the window. As if fate liked playing jokes, the door closest to it opened. Garnet didn't take a step out before spying the trio down the hall. Garnet pressed herself to the shadows of the room more as a growl echoed into the air. They watched her silently slip back into the darkness of the room as the monster clawed at the window.

"Change of plans." Pearl whispered as the monster moved away from the window. "Get everyone in the truck and wait for my signal to gun it."

"What signal?" Jasper whispered harshly as Pearl moved away from her and down the hall. "Pearl!"

Pearl silently lead Steven to Garnet's room and after he disappeared inside she tip toed down the hall to Lapis' room. As she turned the door knob the door flew out of her hand. She scrambled to catch it from banging on the wall as Peridot and Lapis came barreling out of the room. They both looked like they were going to cry but Pearl managed to stop the door and cover there mouths before the could scream. She looked into the room to see one big clawed arm inside. It was scratching at the bed. It moved around knocking things over with a growl. As it went to pull its arm back out of the window Pearl pushed Peridot and Lapis up against the wall and pinned them there. Pearl glanced over her shoulder and shook her head at Jasper and Garnet who were a few steps down the stairs. They paused and leaned back as another growl was herd.

"How did it get its arm inside?" Pearl whispered in Peridot's ear as she watched the monster from the corner of her eye.

"We had the window open." Peridot whispered back.

"Why?!"

"We were... uh."

"We were fucking."

"Lapis!"

"What?"

"Are you both serious? Its the end of the world with things that can eat you and do that." Pearl snapped through a whisper as she jerked her head towards the room "And you left the window open?!"

"You were getting laid too, don't act all proper about it." Lapis whispered rolling her eyes.

"We didn't open the window like dumb asses." Pearl spat back. She wasn't one to curse but oh lord would her and Lapis go back and forth like this time to time. When Pearl saw the monster move away she let go of her two friends and told them the plan.

As they both slipped back into there room Pearl moved down the hall to the room Bismuth and Blue were in. As she cracked the door open she could hear her sister crying. She got the door open just enough to see both girls sitting on the bed, Bismuth holding her pipe up to swing it and Blue pressed right up against her back, death gripping her shirt. The monster was at the window looking in.

"Blue." Pearl whispered. It took a few tries until her sister heard her but she turned and looked at her sister.

She motioned for her to breath, hoping her sister could see her enough in the dark. After the monster moved on Pearl skipped into the room, filling the pair in on the plan, and skipped back out. It took a lot longer then they all wanted, but eventually they found themselves all packed and ready to go at the front door. As the monster slandered by the front door again they all stood frozen.

"What is it doing?" Bismuth whispered as they watched it slowly go by the windows and disappear around the side of the house.

"It's looking for us." Pearl whispered back getting the majority of the eyes on herself. "It followed me and Steven from the light house."

The others didn't know what to say and Garnet didn't give them a chance.

"Whatever your gonna do, do it quick." Garnet said unlocking the front door and running out.

Bismuth and Lapis ran out after Garnet. Peridot closed the door, but kept it ajar. They watched as the three outside got to the truck quickly. They put there stuff in the back seat but before they could run back they herd the monster coming back. Lapis jumped into the back seat and shut the truck door silently as Garnet and Bismuth dove around the back and out of sight. Jasper pressed the others in the house into the living room and onto the floor. She pressed her back against the wall next to the crack in the door as Pearl and Blue kept the kids (and Peridot) still and quiet. It felt like forever until the monster turned the corner around the house again. Once it did Jasper stood and ushered Ruby and Sapphire out the front door. She watched them get to the truck and into the back with Lapis before sending Peridot, Steven, and Blue out.

All six of them managed to squeeze into the back seat and shut the door. Once they were in with all there stuff Jasper grabbed her girlfriends hand.

"Don't take too long or I'll be forced to embarrass you with some thrilling heroics." Her voice rumbled as she planted a kiss on Pearl's lips.

Pearl pressed her lips against her girlfriends before pulling away. After the monster passed by for a third time she watched Jasper, Bismuth, and Garnet all squeeze into the crowded truck. Once she was sure they were ready to go Pearl jogged to the back door and waited. Once the monster came around the corner it walked right past the back door and porch steps before stopping. Pearl opened the door slowly and snuck outside. As soon as she shut the door behind her she froze.

_This was my best idea yet_, Pearl thought as her hands started to shake, _There's no way this could go wrong! Nice going Pearl_. Less then ten feet from her stood the monster. It was facing away from her, out towards the tree line. She could see its blood stained on its arm from the light house. The jagged peace's of glass sticking out of its mutated arm. It was breathing hard and kept scratching at its shoulder.

Pearl took a few deep breaths, shoving her fear deep into the back of her mind. She crept forward and pulled herself up onto the railing. She crouched down and waited until the monster dropped its arms again to jump.

Pearl's hands wrapped around the hilt of her fencing sword. With all her strength she placed her feet on the monsters back and pulled. She pulled as hard as she could. The monster screamed and arched it back in such a way that the sword came out, sending Pearl flying back onto the porch with a thud. Pearl had the wind knocked out of her when she landed but her hand kept a tight grip on her sword as it clattered against the wood.

The world wobbled in Pearl's eyes for a moment but when she was able to focus she saw that the monster was looking right at her. In shear panic Pearl scrambled to her feet and held the sword out in front of her. Before she could think to swing she realized the monster wasn't attacking her. It was just... looking at her. Its many eyes darted between the sword and Pearl herself.

_Is it... thinking? _Pearl thought as she watched the monster. It shifted from side to side a bit as it watched her. A deep rumble was coming from its chest but it made no obvious signs that it was going to attack Pearl. It just stood there. Pearl herself was scared but confused. It had no problem attacking her at the light house so why wasn't it trying to kill her now? She was happy it wasn't trying to eat her of course but still.

A shuffling came to Pearl's ear. She tore her eyes away from the monster in front of her and looked to her right. Standing a few feet away was a zombie. More importantly it was a runner. It pulled its lips back and a wicked scream and lunged at Pearl. The same time, the monster screamed as well. Pearl saw the monster raise it arm and swing, its claw ripping through the support beams for the porch. At the last second Pearl ducked and ran under the monsters arm. Its claws sunk into the runner and Pearl pole-vaulted the railing.

Once on her feet she ran across the yard as fast as she could. Behind her she could hear the truck come to life and several zombies being drowned out by the monsters rawer. Pearl started to turn for the truck but a zombies body was thrown past her like a rag doll. Pearl's eyes went wide as she turned on her heals and aimed for the tree line. She could hear Peridot shouting and the monster roaring as she disappeared behind the trees.

Pearl ran as fast as she could. She knew these woods like the back of her hand. Her and Peridot would spend summers up here when they were little. They played so much in the woods they had created there own path through it. This served her well. She fully trusted Peridot and if her shouting meant anything other then fear she was going to get to the end of this trail and the truck will be waiting for her.

Pearl hopped over fallen trees and ran around rocks like a ghost. Behind her she could hear the monster growing faint for a moment but then suddenly get louder. As she ducked under a tree a huge trunk went sailing over her head.

"Seriously?!" Pearl shouted in annoyance as she ran.

The monster was thrashing through the woods after her. It was knocking down trees and tripping over rocks in its heist. Its inability to get through the woods like Pearl was her god send. When she saw the end of the path coming up Pearl was smiling ear to ear. The last bit of the path was thick trees growing on top of each other surrounded by sticker bushes. There was only enough room for her to jump between them and get through.

The second Pearl cleared the trees she saw a flash of black and orange. Pearl stumbled and rolled out of the way of Jasper's truck, just barley missing getting run over. Pearl rolled and landed on her butt hard as the truck screeched to a stop.

"Oh my God, I just hit my girlfriend!"

Pearl rolled her eyes and huffed as she scrambled to her feet. She ran and climbed into the bed of the truck as the monsters clawed arm shot through the thick trees she just came from.

"Go Jasper!" Pearl shouted in the open window to the cab.

"You ok?!" Jasper looked over her shoulder in shock as the monster came crashing through the trees.

"Drive!" Pearl shouted. "Fucking drive!"

The monster let out a ear shattering roar and Jasper hit the gas. Pearl flailed her arms and fell back on her butt as the truck shot down the street. Pearl pushed herself back to the window as she watched the monster. It scrambled around on the road a bit getting its bearings. It soon threw its head up in the air and froze.

"What's it doing?" Lapis asked.

The monsters head snapped in the direction of the truck and roared again. It suddenly took off after them and Peridot spoke up.

"Um, Jasper. I don't mean to rush you but could you drive faster?" She asked as the monster started to close the distance quickly.

"A lot faster." Ruby added in.

"How much faster do you need?" Jasper asked.

The monster roared and gave the giant all the answer she needed. Pearl was pressed as tight as she could be against the cab of the truck as the monster got uncomfortably close to them. When it got within its reach it flung its clawed arm out and slammed it down on to the truck, right between Pearl's legs. Pearl and a few others screamed as the claws dug into the bed of the truck before scraping back and ripping off the tailgate. As the monster threw the door away from itself Pearl tried to get to her feet.

Pearl threw her arm through the window as she got to her knees. Several hands from her shoulder to her hand held onto her as she got to her feet. They had a death grip on Pearl as she twisted her body sideways, ready to swing her sword if the monster reached out once more.

"In coming!" Bismuth shouted.

Soon the truck was swerving side to side as runners started slamming into and trying to catch the truck and jump on it. The kids were screaming in the back seat as Pearl started swinging the sword at every runner that got close to her. Bismuth and Garnet hung out the window and started beating the zombies that got too close as Lapis and Peridot took over holding Pearl the tightest at the back window with the kids. Pearl missed on a swing at a zombie and a runner slammed into her legs hard.

"Agh!" Pearl cried as she fell to her knees.

"Pearl!" She could hear Steven calling her from the cab through tears.

"I'm ok Steven!" Pearl yelled as she twisted the best she could with the many hands holding her and kick the runner in the face. The monsters arm suddenly appeared and sunk into the runner, ripping it off the bed of the truck, earning another round of screams. Pearl grunted in pain as she struggled to her feet again. Her right leg was throbbing as hard as her head.

Pearl readied herself for the next zombie when the surprise happened. As quickly as the monster started chasing them with a hoard it stopped. It roared and slowed to a stop. Surprising to everyone in the truck, the zombies started to stop too. Soon they were becoming dots on the horizon as the truck started to pass the first few houses into town.

**Jasper**

"So that's it?" Bismuth asked hanging out the window still.

"Looks like it." Garnet answered.

"Is everyone alright?" Jasper called over her shoulder as she eased off the gas a bit.

"Were ok." Peridot said.

"Kids are shaken up but good." Lapis said.

"I'm fine." Blue said softly.

"Were good." Bismuth said thumbing to Garnet.

"Pearl." Garnet said.

"Oh, I-I'm fine!" Pearl called through the window "A-Okay!"

Jasper glanced in the mirror and caught sight of Pearl's face, a grimace on her lips. She was lying.

Jasper's heart was pounding in her chest and she could feel her pulse in her ears. She thought she had run Pearl over then almost lost her off the back of the truck. This was not what she meant by thrilling heroics. Not even close. How could Pearl and Steven of even survived with that thing in the light house? It was beyond a monster. It was the stuff out of nightmares. As soon as her thoughts started they stopped. The truck started to groan and sputter.

"Ah crap." Jasper said hitting the gas, trying to get the truck to keep moving. "Don't do this to me."

"What's wrong?" Bismuth asked as the truck sputtered more.

"Were out of gas and I think-" Jasper said as the truck groaned loudly before shuttering to a sudden stop. "The beast finally died."

Jasper groaned before putting the truck in park and hopping out. The others followed slowly taking in there surroundings. Jasper walked around to the front of the truck and popped the hood open. She coughed and waved her hand in front of her face as a big cloud of black smoke billowed out. She propped the hood up and crossed her arms, grumbling to her self. The truck hand finally died and it pissed her off. She had worked hard to build this with her dad and sister. It had taken her months to save up for it then months after to get it to run. It not only hurt her pride but her feelings too. This was all she really had left to call home. Now its gone.

"Are we going to your place now?" Steven dragged Jasper out of her thoughts with his hand on her pants, tugging slightly.

Jasper smiled down at him and picked him up, placing him on her shoulder. She looked around to see they were several houses down from her place. She didn't even realize she was driving them all this way but it worked out. The dock was six blocks away and there wasn't a single zombie in sight. Well, none that could really hurt them. She even had stuff they could defend themselves with in her room. This was perfect.

"Yea, were going to my place now." Jasper said to there group as she looked around at them. "I got sports equipment in the house. We just gotta get by the few zombies that made it inside."

"A'ight." Garnet said. "Lets go."

They all got there stuff from the truck and got armed to move. Jasper was quick to get herself ready, putting Steven down to go over to Ruby and Sapphire, before coming up to her girlfriend. Pearl was sitting on the edge of the truck. She looked lost in thought as she rubbed her thigh. She could see several emotions move across her face. Pearl was bad at hiding her emotions on her face like Jasper was but better at deflecting questions.

Jasper came up to her and stilled her hands. "Where does it hurt?"

Pearl jumped at shook her head "I'm fine."

"Pearl." Jasper said. She took the dancers hands and moved them out of her way. Jasper placed her big hands on Pearl's thigh and started to rub small circles into her skin. She watched Pearl for her reactions and when she flinched back she kept her hand kneading the same spot.

"Its not broken." Jasper mumbled "Can you walk on it?"

"I don't think so." Pearl admitted looking guilty "That runner hit me pretty hard."

"No blood?"

"No blood."

Jasper nodded and placed a kiss on Pearl's lips. After she turned and kneeled down to let Pearl move herself onto her shoulder. Pearl always felt silly sitting on her girlfriends shoulder like this but Jasper liked it. It made her ego a bit bigger knowing that she could walk around with her girlfriend like this with no problem. She loved how light Pearl was compared to herself. She loved that she could throw her round and lift her with no effort. It made her feel stronger and her already high confidence always got higher.

Jasper kept one hand wrapped around the top of Pearl's thigh as her bat rested on her shoulder. The group slowly made there way down the street. They all unconsciously had moved so the kids were surrounding Jasper and Pearl while Bismuth and Lapis brought up the rear, Garnet and Peridot taking the lead. Blue was glued to Jasper's side as they moved. The giants eyes darted around as they walked. There wasn't a single zombie around that wasn't a crawler and she voiced her thoughts.

"That _thing_ seems to call them to it." Pearl said absentmindedly running her fingers into Jasper's hair. "It happened at the light house too."

"When it chased us, it was calling them." Peridot said "That's why those runners came out of no where and started slamming into the truck."

Jasper frowned "Helped kill it is what they did." The giant grumbled to herself but relaxed as Pearl moved her fingers through her hair a few times.

"We can always fix it." Pearl said "We still need to get to the car wash and its the apocalypse. You don't have to pay for anything."

This perked Jasper right up. She got a bit of pep in her step and smiled brightly up at her girlfriend. Pearl smiled down unknown to her that she just made Jasper's day. Not having to pay for anything meant she could fix the truck up and not wait for parts to come in. It just made her happy, specially coming from a lower income household.

Pearl let out a giggle and Jasper looked up at her confused "What's so funny?"

"I swear, you two can survive anything." Pearl said before raising her hands over her head and waving them "Amethyst!"

Jasper's head snapped forward and she yelled out in excitement. Standing on a makeshift bridge between her house and her neighbors stood her younger sister. Amethyst was shouting and waving back at them. She looked just as excited as Jasper did.

"Go, will catch up." Pearl said tapping her girlfriends shoulder to be put down.

Jasper waisted no time in listening. She put Pearl down, leaning her on Blue, before getting out of there group and running towards her house. She was so excited to see Amethyst that she swung her bat and knocked a crawlers head clean off as she ran up the lawn and into her house. She took the stairs two at a time as she herd Amethyst tumble into there parents room calling her name. The sisters slammed into each other in the hallway and landed with a thud on the floor. They were a big laughing mess by the time the others got into the house.

"Where have you been?!" Jasper shouted as she got to her feet and hugged her sister tighter in her arms, picking her up off the floor "We came looking for you the day of and you weren't here!"

"I had spent the night at Vidalia's." Amethyst said with a laugh.

"She ok?" Jasper asked putting her sister down "Or?"

"I'm all that's left." Amethyst said with a shrug.

Before she could say more Amethyst heard the others downstairs and ran to see them. Jasper followed hot on her heals. As Amethyst jumped into the group, tackling most to the ground in a hug, Garnet managed to get out of the way while closing the door.

"Amethyst!" Ruby shouted.

"Your ok!" Sapphire added.

"Yay!" Steven yelled.

They all were a twisted mess of giggles and limbs on the floor. Jasper and Garnet were chuckling as they slowly got everyone to there feet. Jasper had to pry Steven off Amethyst's arms long enough for her to stand up. When she was on her feet Steven quickly reclaimed her arm. Ruby and Sapphire were quick to claim her back as well.

"How long have you been here Ame?" Jasper asked.

"For a while." Amethyst said. Jasper frowned as her vagueness.

"We've been all over town and we haven't seen you." Bismuth said. "Where have you been hiding?"

"Why the third degree?" Amethyst said a little annoyed. "I'm here now and everything is fine!"

"Woah relax." Jasper said. "Were happy your ok, ok?"

Amethyst looked away with a sigh but nodded. "So why did you guys come back here?"

"To get my sports equipment from the basement." Jasper said thumbing to the door in the small hallway under the stairs. "Need something sturdier for the girls to hit things with."

Pearl was closest to the door and was unlocking it when Amethyst jumped and grabbed her arm, yanking her back. "Don't open that!"

Pearl flailed backwards and went down falling into Peridot. Jasper frowned at her sister. "What was that for!" Jasper pushed past her sister and grabbed the doorknob, twisting it.

"Don't go down there!" Amethyst yelled running the few steps to her sisters side and yanking on her arm. "Please Jasper."

"What is so important that we can't go down there?" Jasper snapped at her sister.

A growl answered for her. As Peridot got to her feet and offered Pearl her hand the basement door swung out of Jasper's hand, banging into her and Amethyst. A runner came bolting out of the basement and dove at Peridot and Pearl. It wrapped its hands around Peridot's leg and she screamed on the way down.

"No dad! Don't hurt them!" Amethyst yelled.

The kids were screaming as everyone scrambled to get the zombie. The zombie sunk its teeth into Peridot's leg. She screamed louder as her and Pearl started kicking it in the face. Bismuth and Amethyst managed to grab the zombies arms and Jasper grabbed its legs and they all pulled. The second the zombie let go of its grip on Peridot, Garnet brought her cricket bat up and slammed it down into its neck. The zombie flailed for a bit but then went still as Garnet hit it again, separating its head from its shoulders.

"What did you do that?!" Amethyst shouted getting to her feet and going at Garnet "He didn't mean it!"

Bismuth grabbed Amethyst and held her back as Jasper grabbed her sister by the face, forcing her to look her in the eye. "Amethyst." She said with authority. Her sister closed her eyes tight but Jasper's tone made her open them again. "Look at me."

"tsk."

"Ame."

"What!" Her sister snapped through tears in her eyes.

"Tell me everything." Jasper said.

She looked over to see Blue shuffle the kids into the basement while the others helped Pearl and Peridot to there feet. Lapis was fussing over Peridot with Pearl but the short girl waved them off. "I'm fine."

"It bit you." Lapis said flatly.

"It got my prosthetic, remember? I'm missing my left leg?"

"Oh yea." Lapis said blinking.

"Several zombies got into Vidalia's when this all went down." Amethyst said with her voice cracking. "Me and V managed to get out the window but she got bit. We made it about half way here when we got separated. I was being chased by several of those freaks when I got here. Dad managed to help me into the h-house but."

Amethyst choked on her words and Jasper pulled her into a hug.

"H-He got turned into one of those because of me. T-Then you and Pearl almost died cuz I ran and hid in my room instead of closing t-the back door when the runners herd you two talking." Amethyst clung to her sister tightly. "It all went to hell!"

"It's not your fault Amethyst." Pearl said limping over slightly and hugging the smaller girl. "Were ok see? And now your here and ok too."

"Yea sis." Jasper said messing up her sisters hair "Now you can come with us and we can get through this hell together."

Amethyst shook her head and pulled out of the girls arms. This bothered Jasper. She could see her sister was falling apart. "I can't go with you."

"Why not?" Jasper asked.

Amethyst didn't say anything. She just grabbed Jasper and Pearl's hands and dragged them into the kitchen. Garnet made it a point to usher the others into the basement. She gave the trio a look before planting herself in the door frame. Once in the kitchen Jasper pulled her sister to a stop and crossed her arms. Her intense stair had Amethyst twitching uncomfortably in front of her.

"I-I can't go with you guys." Amethyst said.

"Why?" Jasper said.

"Unless its a good reason your coming with us." Pearl said.

Jasper watched as her sister scrubbed the tears from her face before gathering her hair in her hand. She moved her hair over her shoulder and pulled down her shirt to reveal a nasty bite mark on her skin. It was black, deep, and oozing. "I-I got bit by one of the zombies that got in the garage after you two had managed to get out."

Jasper ran her hands up into her hair as her girlfriend covered her mouth and started to cry.

"T-They swarmed me but I managed to lock myself upstairs. After a few hours i-it started to turn black. When it s-started to ooze the zombies s-stopped pounding on the door and j-just left."

"Oh Amethyst." Pearl said setting forward and hugging the smaller girl tight. Her sister returned the embrace with just as much love and pain. Jasper started pulling at her hair and pacing the kitchen. _This can't be happening. This can't be happening_, Jasper thought. _Not Ame. Anyone but my sister. _

"H-How long." Jasper asked swallowing past the lump in her throat. "How long since you've been bitten?"

"Yesterday morning. I feel like crap." Amethyst said looking at her sister but clinging to Pearl who held her just as tight. "I-I'm going to die and become one of them... aren't I?"

Jasper looked at her sister but couldn't bring the words to her mouth. She pulled both girls into her arms and held them tight against her. She could feel there tears on her shirt and it only made her more upset. Yes, her sister was going to die. There was nothing they could do to help stop the inevitable.

"We won't let you." Jasper said putting her face into her girlfriends hair while running her hand through her sisters. "Will...will."

"Will help you pass without pain." Garnet said the words Jasper couldn't. She didn't want her sister to die. She didn't want her to turn into a zombie like every other person in there lives. She didn't want either option but it wasn't up to her.

"C-C'mon, lets go down stairs." Pearl said. "Lets spend time with the others."

It took a lot of coaxing but Pearl and Garnet got the sisters down into the basement with the others after making sure they weren't going to cry. Most of the day was spent rummaging through the basement. Peridot, Lapis, and Blue were each given a baseball bat. Steven was given a field hockey stick. They knew it wouldn't do any real harm but it made him feel important. Ruby and Sapphire gave there weapons to Bismuth and Jasper in exchange for hockey sticks. Bismuth got to work putting nails and other sharp object on the ends of the slender girls bats and reinforcing the hockey sticks. Blue helped Peridot keep the kids entertained while Lapis and Pearl rummaged through the house and gathered everything they would need, repacking everyone's bags. Jasper rummaged through the house and got into comfortable cloths she could fight in. After helping Pearl into better suited cloths herself they went about helping Garnet and Amethyst set up Amethyst's room just the way she wanted.

They now all gathered in the back yard. Bismuth and Jasper had just finished putting the sisters dad in the ground. Garnet had found some old pipes along the side of the house and made a makeshift cross. As she stuck it in the ground the group was silent. They had said there goodbyes and now just stood looking at the shallow grave. It didn't feel right. It felt like they were just throwing him away without a second thought but there was nothing more they could do right now for him... For anyone.

"I wish I didn't mess up." Amethyst said softly to her sister. "Then he would still be here and I wouldn't be dying."

"Don't talk like that." Jasper growled softly back "He wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

"It's not your fault Ame." Pearl said leaning her head on the shorter girl. "None of this is your fault."

"C'mon." Amethyst said sniffling and scrubbing the few tears from her eyes. "You all need to get going if your gonna get to the dock before sundown."

As the sun left its high point in the sky and started towards the horizon they were ready. They all gathered in the living room and only when Steven asked why Amethyst wasn't coming did the air get heavy.

"I'm not feeling too good buddy." Amethyst said with a smile as she kneeled down to Steven's level. "So I gotta stay here."

"Are you sick like Connie?" Steven asked.

Jasper couldn't look at there interaction. Her eyes wondered around the group. The others knew what had happened, Pearl pulled them aside individually earlier and let them know. Ruby and Sapphire figured it out on there own and promised to keep Steven in the dark. No one wanted to lie to him but they just couldn't tell him.

"Y-Yea." Amethyst choked out. "I gotta stay here so you can bring back help."

"Like what were going to do for Connie!" Steven said with a big smile.

"Just like with Connie." Amethyst said. Her gaze was soft and she ruffled Steven's hair before pulling him into the tight hug. Steven returned the gesture with ease and just smiled brightly at Amethyst as she let him go.

"Its ok Ame-bear." Steven said throwing Amethyst nickname out, making it very hard on everyone not to cry "Will come back with a doctor will fix you right up with Connie. I promise."

"You should get going." Amethyst said standing again and locking eyes with her sister. "Can't put it off forever."

Jasper grinded her teeth together as the others gave Amethyst a hug one by one and shuffled out the door. Soon it was just the sisters and Garnet standing in Amethyst's room. Jasper gave her sister a soul crushing hug as she held it together.

"Did you take the sleeping pills?" She asked.

"The whole bottle." Amethyst answered. "They work pretty fast. Dad always got the good kind."

"Love you runt." Jasper said into her sisters hair.

"Love ya to ya mush-bar." Amethyst said. "See ya on the other side. Don't join me too fast."

Jasper let her sister go and turned. She quickly walked out of the room and down the stairs then out the front door and left it ajar behind herself. Jasper made it a few steps away from the door before stopping. Pearl came to her side and handed her, her bag and bat. She silently put it on before pulling her girlfriend into a tight hug. She put her face into Pearl's hair and did her best to hold it together. It took about 10 minutes until it happened.

There was a single pop and Jasper twitched at the sound, squeezing Pearl tighter for a moment. After another minute Garnet came through the front door, shutting it behind her and making sure it was locked. They locked the whole house up. If they were ever able to come back they decided they would bring Connie's remains here and put her next to Amethyst and there dad in the back yard. They would try to find Connie's parents as well but they weren't too hopeful about that.

They stood there for a few moments before Garnet broke the silence. "Lets loot the neighboring houses for a few minutes before we start moving again." Garnet placed her hand on Jasper's shoulder for a moment before continuing. "After the three of us will swing b the carwash and the rest of you will go to the docks."

"Splitting up is a bad idea." Peridot said.

"If the monster comes back with all the zombies it will be easier to run and fight if we don't have everyone with us." Garnet said.

"4 of you can't fight." Jasper said bluntly "Don't want you to get hurt if we get swarmed."

"It will be safer." Pearl added quickly looking from her sister to Steven.

As the group split up into pairs and went into houses Jasper stayed in front of Jasper's with the kids, Pearl, and Blue. Jasper paired up with Garnet and were rummaging through her neighbors house making small talk. They commented on the weather and how they hoped to reach the docks without issue but not much else. They had there friendship built on mainly silence but a mutual understanding. After coming out the back door they herd a trashcan fall over with a bang. Both girls immediately crouched and readied there blunt objects. Jasper took the lead as she walked around the side of the house. They stuck close to the side of the house as they slowly came around the corner. On the far end of the house they could see Pearl come around the corner, her sword at the ready. Both girls locked eyes before Pearl jumped around the mess of trashcans between them. A girly shriek filled the air and Pearl stopped mid swing, her hand held up high in the air. Her face made both girls, and the rest of there group, who had come out of there houses and readied themselves at the three's posture, pause in confusion.

"Dewey?" Pearl said.

* * *

**Note:** Ok, so it was hard for me to kill Amethyst like this. I have an idea of all the characters I want in this fic and sorry to all the Amethyst lovers out there, she just wasn't a character I was going to keep around. I wanted her present but not for long. As the story goes on, another character will die, well two will as of right now, but it won't be for a while. I have a better idea on how this story is going to go from here on out and its gonna get interesting. Hope you all like it!

Any weird zombie ideas/quirks you want me to add? Let me know! I'm going for the basic all around zombies. Trying to cover all areas of the zombie spectrum from the running and crawling to the basic problem solving theories and hoard ideas. Smell and looks will also be added in here in a weird way. I'd also like to note though that my monster in here is something special. If you have a guess on what it is or what it can do let me hear it!

Leave me a comment, let me know what you think or any ideas you think I should throw in! All feed back in appreciated and loved!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Pearl**

Pearl paused in utter confusion as she took at her classmate. "Dewey?"

The sweaty teen had shrieked and covered his face in terror when Pearl had startled him. He was a scary cat in general with the biggest crush on Pearl. How he was even still alive baffled her. Dewey couldn't walk or even talk without sounding looking like an idiot. There class president must of found some good hole to hide in when everything went down.

"Pearl! Your alive!" Dewey said jumping to his feet. He took a step forward to hug Pearl, who took a step back in disgust, as a big hand grabbed him by the shirt. He screeched again as Jasper picked him up off the ground. "A-And J-J-Jasper! I-It's nice to see y-you both alive and well."

"Well well, if it isn't Dewey the dunce." Lapis said as the others came over to them. "Still trying to assault Pearl are we?"

"That's Mayor Dewey to you miss Lazuli." Dewey said crossing his arms. "A-And I wasn't-"

"Don't push it William." Lapis said.

"Nice to see you still can't keep your hands off my girl." Jasper said with a dark smile. "Apocalypse or not I will still beat you into the ground."

"Jasper." Pearl said leaning around a shaking Dewey to look at her girlfriend. "As much as we would all enjoy that, please put him down. He didn't actually touch me."

Pearl watched the conflict if her girlfriends face. Through high school Dewey had made it clear that he fancied Pearl. Pearl had made it clear in return that she wasn't interested in him but he was persistent. He would make a fool of himself on a daily bases with bad flirting and date proposals to the slender fencer. Pearl would turn him down again and again but he never got the hint. When Jasper and her were first flirting Dewey took it bad. He tried to scare Jasper away and when _he_ got scared instead he turned his attention back to Pearl. He tried a multitude of ways to corner her and pressure her into going out with him. When he finally learned that Jasper and Pearl were an item he crossed the line. He had cornered Pearl in the library and put his hands on her, trying to get in her pants and kiss her. He was so desperate that he didn't realize that Pearl didn't come to the library alone. Her and Jasper were there to work on a project and when Pearl didn't come back to the table after a while Jasper went looking for her. When Jasper found them she beat Dewey into the ground and told him she would do more then cave his face in if he _ever_ touched Pearl again. Now with the end of the world going on, he seems to of forgotten Jasper's threat and Jasper was more then happy to remind him.

"Y-Yes please put me down." Dewey said crossing his arms trying to look tough "My convoy will not be happy if I d-don't come back."

"Convoy?" Peridot said confused "How did you manage to get into a convoy, or even survive for that matter?"

"W-W-Well you see my dad thinks I have a girlfriend and let me c-come out here to find her." Dewey stammered as a low rumble was heard "S-So-"

"William." Pearl said cutting him off as the rumbling got louder. The others, minus Garnet and the loving couple, turned to the sound but Pearl's eyes stayed locked on the trembling idiot for a class president in front of her "_Who_ did you say-"

"Uh guys." Bismuth said catching the rest of there attention "We got company."

Jasper and Pearl felt there jaws drop as two armored trucks came rolling down the road and stopped near them. Jasper dropped Dewey on his ass as they all turned to the man who hung out the window smiling at them.

"There you are boy!" The guy said as Dewey stood and brushed himself off "Where the heck have you been?"

"Looking for my girlfriend." Dewey said plastering a smile on his face as he grabbed Pearl's hand and yanked her off balance, causing her to fall into his side. "Told you she would be here."

"Girlfriend?" Pearl and Jasper both questioned.

"Well I'll be damned. You weren't lying at all!" They guy laughed "She's a looker too."

Pearl was so speechless that she couldn't form the words to snap at the guy saying provocative things at her or the ability to move her hand to Dewey's neck and strangle him. Was he that bent on being with her that he convinced people to come and find her in the zombie apocalypse? He was nuts!

Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Jasper was just a dumb founded. Her jaw was hanging open and her eye was twitching. She could see the wheels slowly turning in her head as his words sunk in. She could tell Jasper was trying to think about how to kill Dewey.

_Kill me, _Pearl thought as Dewey leaned close to her, _Let the monster come back and just kill me._

"So are all your friends here coming with us?" The guy asked "Or are we only picking up your squeeze?"

"Play along or I'll have them all killed before we leave." Dewey said so softly that only Pearl, Jasper, and Garnet could hear him. "Your in my hands now."

Pearl's brain worked faster then her girlfriends. For this she was thankful. She weighed the options in her head. If she told Dewey off then there whole group would be killed in front of her eyes. If she agreed to play along with Dewey they would all be taken some where safe but she didn't know where. She had no clue were there base of survival was or if it was even safe enough for the kids. She feared for Steven and Jasper's safety along with the others. They just lost Amethyst... she didn't want to loose anyone else. She just hoped Jasper could keep her cool long enough to have them all get to where they were going to be taken.

_I'm cutting off my hands after this and burning these cloths_, Pearl thought as she plastered the best stage smile she could muster on her face, _Please forgive me Jasper_. She turned and threw her arms around Dewey's arm. She leaned close to him and acted happier then she ever did on stage. Dewey looked started at first but a big happy smile crossed his face making Pearl wanna puke.

"I'm just happy you are ok." Pearl said. Her voice was a few octaves higher as she lied her way through the facade. "How did you know to look for me here _sweetie_?"

"W-Well I knew you listened to me when I told you to hide and that I would be back for you." He said "I can't leave you behind my sweet."

"I'm _so_ happy you came back for _all_ of us." Pearl said swallowing past the acid in her throat "My best friend kept me and my sister safe like you asked her too."

"Yea." Jasper said landing a heavy hand on Dewey's shoulder and pressing down hard as she matched her girlfriends fake smile "I told you they would be safe, just like you asked."

"Of course." Dewey said shuttering at Pearl's closeness. He was enjoying Pearl all over him more then he should, almost forgetting Jasper's giant hand pressing into his shoulder, leaving a nice bruise.

"Were _all_ so excited to get out of here." Pearl said digging her nails into Dewey's arm. Dewey looked at Pearl as her nails started to turn his arm red and make him twitch in pain. He could see the anger in Pearl's eyes and the threatening glare from Jasper over her shoulder. Pearl knew she was pushing it, not giving Dewey a chance to say no but she also knew he would do anything for her. Making her angry was not something he wanted to do.

"Well c'mon boy, help your cute friends and that hot peace of ass into the back of the jumper and lets get going." The guy hanging out the window said. "We haven't seen any dead around and I don't want to run into a hoard out here."

"Lets go." Pearl said letting go of Dewey's arm and taking his hand. "You can ride with us. We have _so_ much to catch up on."

"N-No that's ok." Dewey stammered as he was dragged forward by Pearl. "I-I-I need to ride with the guys, to keep you safe my sweet."

"Nonsense." Bismuth said as she placed her hand on his other shoulder, stopping him from escaping. "We have _so much _to talk to you about."

"Yea Willy." Jasper said with a wicked dark look "Lets talk."

Dewey stammered but couldn't form any words as they all loaded into the back of the far truck. Bismuth and Jasper sat right at the entrance to the truck. Pearl and Dewey sat next to Bismuth with Blue. Garnet sat next to Jasper with Peridot and Lapis. The kids were in the back of the truck sitting on the floor with all there stuff. Once they were ready they gave the other truck the thumbs up before dropping the curtain and shutting the half door. The second they were out of sight Jasper reached across the truck and grabbed the front of Dewey's shirt. She yanked him across the truck to her face.

"Give me one damn good reason why I shouldn't throw you under the truck tires for touching my girlfriend." She growled as Pearl sighed in relief of Dewey no longer next to her. "Talk fast."

"I-It's the only way I can get you all back to our compound." Dewey stammered. "I-I come back without a girlfriend it won't end well."

"Bullshit." Jasper snapped tightening her grip on Dewey's shirt.

"H-H-Hurt me and you'll regret it." Dewey said. As he spoke his voice became more steady with each passing word. "My d-dad is one of the two people running our compound. He will let me do anything I want and throw anyone I want out to the hoards. Hurt me and not do what I want I will have them hurt " He pointed to the kids "And you all thrown out."

Jasper growled as Garnet placed a hand on her arm.

"Now this is how things are going to work. Pearl is now _my_ girlfriend and if I see _you_ near her again when we reach Empire City then I'll do more then throw you out." Dewey said smacking Jasper's hands away and sitting down. "And besides, there's always the second option next to her."

Pearls blood ran cold as Dewey got cocky with Jasper. She was leaning as much as she could into Blue. When Dewey sat back fully he wrapped his arm around Pearl's shoulder and pulled her right up against him. _Oh stars_, Pearl thought as her stomach rolled. She raised her hand and held the back of it to her lips, trying to calm her need to heaved.

"Do more then hold her hand and I don't care how many bullets you put in me. I _will_ kill you." Jasper said through a clenched jaw.

"Will see." Dewey said. When he leaned over and kissed Pearl cheek she up chucked everything in her stomach and onto his lap. The others let out a mixture of snorts and disgusted sounds as Dewey squealed like a little girl and let Pearl go. Pearl leaned into her sister and felt embarrassed. She didn't want to throw up what little she ate today but even being next to Dewey mad her stomach turn. Just touching him made her gag. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Jasper giving Dewey a knowing smirk before pulling a shirt out of her bag and offering it to Pearl. Pearl blushed as she took the shirt and wiped her face off on it.

"C-Could I see-" Pearl shoved the shirt in Dewey's face gracelessly before he could finish his sentence. She hit him hard enough with her fisted hand through the shirt that it was sure to leave a bruise on his smug face.

"I wouldn't worry about Jasper being the one to murder you." Bismuth commented about Pearl's pissed off face.

Dewey grunted when he got hit and it made Pearl feel a little better. She looked at Jasper and earned a wink from her. A small smile painted her face for a moment as she leaned back on her sister. She placed her head on Blue's shoulder. Pearl then pinched one of Dewey's fingers when he tried to wrap it back around Pearl's shoulders, and threw it away.

"I'll bite you next." Pearl said turning her face into her sister.

"I-I-I mite like t-that." Dewey stammered trying to be seductive but only earned a drive heave from Pearl, earning another round of snickering.

Faint in the distance they heard a single sound that sent a chill through all there spines. Reminding them that the monster was out there and coming.

**0**

The drive to Empire city took longer then Pearl would of hoped. They had come across four hours and had to back track to avoid them. There was no need to waist bullets when they could just run away. Dewey cried every time a zombie was heard or got hit by there convoy. It was so pathetic that the kids made it a game to see how loud he would scream each time. They all found it amusing but it quickly lost its charm when Dewey would cling to Pearl every time. Eventually Pearl just put her hand up and let Dewey face plant into it before standing and sitting on Jasper's lap. Dewey tried to be threatening again but Pearl shot him down with a glare that could cripple a man. They weren't to the compound yet so she didn't have to play along to his threat yet. Pearl also made a bit of a show bout curling up tightly in Jasper's arms and kissing her. She wasn't going for a full make-out session, though she really wanted too, she did kiss her girlfriend every time Dewey screamed and even after he stopped.

"Are you going to be ok?" Jasper murmured into Pearl's ear as she rubbed circles into her back.

"I don't have a choice." Pearl said back resting her head on Jasper's shoulder.

"You always have a choice." Jasper grumbled.

"Jasper."

"I could throw him under the tires."

"No."

"It will be funny as hell."

"No."

Pearl felt Jasper voice rumble in her chest as she grumbled in annoyance. Pearl couldn't help but smile and press a kiss to her neck, making her shutter. She then curled up more into Jasper's arms, enjoying how warm she was. It helped her relax her muscles until she found herself nodding off. Pearl grumbled a bit trying to stay awake but Jasper put a quick end to that.

"Get some sleep." Her girlfriend said a bit louder then there hushed words before, noting to the point that Dewey was probably staring at them "Your safe in my arms babe."

Pearl couldn't help but breath out a slight laugh knowing they Jasper was giving Dewey a smug look. Jasper would always make it a point to show Dewey that Pearl was hers in school. She would always hold her bit closer or kiss her a bit longer when she knew he was looking. Even given the current situation, old habits die hard, Jasper had no problem rubbing it in Dewey's face. It was more a dominant thing right now and to drive home the point that Pearl was hers no matter what situation he was forcing them all into. A kiss on Pearl's head was the last thing she felt before she drifted off to sleep.

After a while Pearl felt tapping on her shoulder. She took a deep breath as she came back to the waking world. The sound of gun fire came to her ears and screeching. In seconds she was alert. Pearl looked up to Jasper to see her peaking out of the curtain.

"Go sit with the kids." Jasper said planting a quick kiss to Pearl's head.

Pearl didn't argue as she moved to the back of the truck. Peridot and Blue were sitting with the kids on the floor. Steven was clinging to Blue as Ruby and Sapphire held onto Peridot. Lapis and Pearl knelt in front of them as Garnet, Jasper, and Bismuth were right at the cover. This left Dewey to, unfortunately, come right over to Pearl.

"Don't worry I-"

"Get in my way and I will throw you to the first zombie that makes it back here." Pearl cut him off so fast she watched him recoil like he was hit. "Now sit down and shut up."

"P-Pearl?" Pearl looked over her shoulder to see Steven shaking with tears in his eyes. "A-Are we going to die?"

"No." Pearl said turning and cupping his face in her hands "No, no, no Steven. Were going to be just fine. Were going somewhere safe." Pearl wiped the tears from his eyes with a smile "Were the zombies can't get us."

The zombies roar became less and less as bright lights passed over head. The truck bounced over what felt like metal grates as gun fire filled the air. Pearl turned back around and held her sword ready as the truck bounced along. They could hear shouting that mixed with... Is that music? pearl thought as the truck traveled for a bit longer before coming to a sudden stop. The stop made everyone fly forward. the kids were thrown into Lapis and Pearl who fell into Dewey. Garnet fell into Bismuth and Jasper which sent all three of them tumbling out of the truck.

Pearl literally shoved Dewey off of her as he tried to get to his face, his hands wondering down her back. She would of stabbed him if the kids weren't in the truck.

"Let me help." Dewey said as Pearl and Lapis helped the kids, Blue, and Peridot to there feet.

"We go this." Pearl said as she brushed Steven off.

"No really-"

"She can't hit you." Lapis hissed grabbing the front of Dewey's shirt and yanking him close. "But I can. So go be a good little boy and get out of this truck before I throw you out myself."

Dewey stammered but made no argument as Lapis shoved him back. Pearl smiled to herself as Dewey scrambled out of the truck. After getting all there stuff together Pearl had Lapis and Blue go first.

"Are you going to be able to do this?" Peridot asked as the cover was pulled back.

"I won't let you guys die because of me." Pearl said looking at her best friend before picking Steven up and holding him close. "I don't want to lose anyone else. Not if I can help it."

Peridot snorted as they helped the kids out of the back of the truck with several people. "I'd like to see someone try-"

"Infected!"

Pearl and Peridot were suddenly yanked from the back of the truck and roughly shoved apart. Pearl held onto Steven as they were shoved into there friends, Peridot being yanked the other way. There was shouting and people screaming infected infected over and over. Pearl felt her blood run cold. She knew what they were yelling about.

"S-Stop!" Pearl yelled "She's not bitten! She's ok!"

Her yelling caused the rest of there group to lash out. The whole compound was full of shouting and arguing. One of the guards had seen the bite mark on Peridot's leg and mistaken it for an actual bite. They were yelling at them to let her go and bring Peridot back over to them. That she was ok. That she had a prosthetic. That she wasn't infected.

They didn't listen.

"Peridot!" Lapis yelled as Pearl shoved Steven into Jasper's arms. "Hit them Peri! Dammit fight back!" Her and Lapis managed to shove there way to the front of the group. Just as Pearl reached out for Peridot's hand she was grabbed from behind and yanked back.

"No!" Pearl screamed as her fingers just grazed Peridot's. She fought to no avail as they all watched the gates open once again. Three guards dragged Peridot over to them kicking and screaming. They yanked her bag from her back and roughly shoved her out of the compound. She watched through wet eyes as Peridot started to cry.

"Run!" Pearl yelled as they could hear zombies screaming, making Peridot's head snap to the side. "Peridot run!"

Peridot cried out and got to her feet as fast as she could. As the gates were being closed the last thing Pearl could see was Peridot running off behind some cars, several zombies shuffling after her with a runner. Her screams were drowned out by the dead.

"How could you do that!" Pearl screamed as she finally got out of the arms holding her back. She stormed forward towards the guards who threw her best friend out. One pulled a gun and aimed it at Pearl's head when she got too close for his liking. "She wasn't infected!"

"Get back." The man said calmly shoving Peridot's bag into her arms.

"She has a prosthetic." Pearl choked out "That bite was in her fake leg."

"Don't bullshit me with your excuses."

"You just killed her!" Pearl screamed. "Asshole!"

Before anyone could separate them Pearl nocked the gun out of her face and slugged the guy clean in the face. She hit him so hard he dropped like a sack of rocks. There was some more shouting and Pearl was quickly grabbed from behind. The two guards with there now dropped friend tried to come forward but several other guards got in there way as Pearl was pulled back.

"Stop." Jasper said grabbing her girlfriend by her wrists. She crossed Pearl's arms across her chest and held her tight.

"Jasper." Pearl cried "She's going to die."

"...I know..."

"They killed her."

Jasper said nothing as she pulled Pearl back to there group. Through her tears she could see that Lapis was still fighting. It was taking both Bismuth and Garnet to hold her back. She was crying just as hard as Pearl was. Ruby and Sapphire were clinging to each other where Steven was hugging Blue tight. jasper let Pearl go just enough to let her shove Peridot's bag into Lapis arms, efficiently stopping her struggle, and causing her to just hold it tight and cry.

"P-Pearl?" Stevens hurt voice broke Pearl more. "Why did they make Peridot go away?"

"Steven-"

"What is Infected mean? Is Peridot getting sick like Ame and Connie?" Steven wiped the tears from his face with little sucess causing Pearl and Blue to brush them away "I-Is she going to be ok?"

"Steven." Pearl said brushing her thumbs across his eyes "We are going to be ok."

"But-"

"Were going to be ok." Pearl's voice cracked as she pulled her sister and god son into her arms. She held them tightly and did her best to slow her tears. Why her, Pearl thought as she calmed herself down the best she could, Why wouldn't they listen?

"P-Pearl my sweet." Dewey's voice drifted to Pearl's ears and made her angry "W-We should go inside and get you all set up. My father would like to speak with us right away."

Pearl pulled away from her family and wiped the tears from her eyes. She felt Jasper's hand brush her elbow for a second before it was replaced by boney fingers. Pearl went to pull her arm away but Dewey had a good grip on her. With great irritation she looked up at him and smiled.

"I'm sorry." Pearl said pulling on her act again. "It just hurts to know that the guards you have here are so incompetent that they wouldn't even look to see if she was truly bitten or not." Pearl grabbed her bag and yanked Dewey's hand off her elbow and opted to death grip it instead. "But I can't fault you _dear_, for the incomitance of the ones meant to protect us."

"Pearl." Garnet cautioned in a hushed voice but the fencer was beyond caring right now.

"Lets go." Pearl said yanking Dewey along behind her "I'm exhausted and wish to clean up and get some sleep."

**0**

The meeting with Dewey's dad was a nightmare. After faking her way into his heart and favor, unfortunately, Pearl now found herself in a private room for her and Dewey. The sweaty teen was trying to talk to her and be all over her the second they got in the room but Pearl was having non of it. She quickly dropped her stuff and shoved him away. To her utter surprise he shoved back. Dewey pinned Pearl to the wall by her shoulders and his lips came to her ear.

"Enough." Dewey snapped with authority that stunned Pearl into silence. "I'm tired of you acting like a bitch. Now I got you and your group in and now I get what I want." Dewey's hand started to wonder down the front of Pearl's shirt and she shivered "Fight me on this and your god son will be the first to go."

"Fucking monster." Pearl choked out. She slammed her eyes shut and turned her face away as Dewey licked Pearl's neck and then bit down hard.

"You'll learn to love me. I promise."

**Jasper**

Jasper was biting her tounge hard as Dewey and Pearl headed off in a different direction from the rest of them, leaving them to be guided around by some dude way past his prime and slower then a snail. The whole trip around there camp here took at least an hour. There compound consisted of a five star hotel, where they all will be staying, and several surrounding shops. They had built walls out of cars and dumpsters and anything else they could find. One of the buildings they clamed was being worked on so the scaffolding was put to good use as well. They had enough walls and barricades that nothing was getting in or out of here without great effort. It all looked put together with great care which was going to be a future problem for them if they want to leave.

Jasper was only half listening and paying attention to the guy showing them around that she bumped into Bismuth when they stopped walking.

"You need to hand your weapons over." The guy said. "Before you get settled into your rooms. Its a safety thing Mr. Dewey wants for all new comers. If not then i will have to take them from you all."

None of them made a move and when he asked again Jasper spoke up. "You can try."

Jasper rested her bat on her shoulder as she stared the man down. He was shorter then her and made it easier to be intimidating. After a few moments of having a staring contest the guy backed down but not before commenting about how he liked tough girls. Jasper in turn said she fucks chicks point blank and disappeared into the closest room, shouldering him so hard that he fell over. The others followed suit, the kids snickering at the man. The girls split up so Jasper was rooming with Bismuth and Garnet while Blue and the others were in the connecting room to the left with Lapis. The moment they were all in they shut and locked both doors.

"This is bullshit." Jasper growled as Garnet opened the door to the adjoining room "I'm going to tear those animals apart."

"Breath." Garnet said as the others filtered into the room "We need to be cautious."

"Fusion there is right." Bismuth said placing a hand on Jasper's shoulder that quickly got shrugged off "We are on there home turf. We need to watch our step."

"Why are we even here?" Ruby asked.

"I thought we were going to the carwash and then the docks." Sapphire added.

"That sack of shit got us cornered into coming here." Jasper growled "When I see him again I'm gonna-"

"Jasper?" Steven tugging on the giants leg had her words stop in her throat. "Where's Pearl?"

Jasper's blood boiled in her veins as Blue picked Steven up and held him close to answer his question "She has to go do a lot of things to keep us safe here."

"Will I get to see her soon?" Steven asked hopeful.

"I hope so bud." Jasper said ruffling his hair. "Ruby, Sapphire, go play with Steven in the other room."

The girls nodded and quickly took Steven away. After they went to the other room Blue shut the door. Jasper rolled her neck and cracked her knuckles. It was taking a great deal of restraint for her to not burst out of the room and storm off to find her girlfriend. Or more importantly, not to storm off and throw Dewey off the top of the building. She knew he could of stopped them from throwing Peridot out of here but he stayed quiet and let it happen. He knew she was Pearl's best friend and by doing that it left Pearl upset. She was easy to be talked into anything when she was upset and it was painful how Dewey knew that. He knew how to push the right buttons and he got Pearl right where he wanted her, tying the rest of there hands behind there backs and forcing them to watch. Only thing she hoped for now was that Pearl was more angry then anything about what they did so she could at least beat the hell out of Dewey.

"What's the plan now?" Bismuth asked leaning on the wall "It wasn't to come here."

"It wasn't." Garnet said.

"We need to find a way out of here." Lapis spat from her spot on the bed, still holding Peridot's bag tight in her arms "Before they throw more of us out."

"Then we do what we have to. We play along." Garnet said after a minute of silence. "He holds all the cards but we can play his game better then he can."

"What are you thinking?" Jasper asked.

"We get on his good side." Garnet said. "He is going to keep Pearl from us as much as he can, though mainly from you." She pointed at Jasper "But he won't fight her on seeing Steven or her sister."

"So we use them to get to her." Bismuth said "Like sending spy's into the enemy camp."

"A camp that were staying in." Lapis added bitterly. "That doesn't solve our problem of getting _out_."

"We fall into there ranks." Jasper said. "We learn about there defenses and weak points. Take them out at the knees and in the chaos we make our escape."

"Were going to need a car." Blue said softly coming to Jasper's side and leaning into her "Its too far of a walk to get back home. Its not safe."

"Its not safe anywhere." Lapis said "We were fucked the second she didn't kill that dunce."

"Lets get cleaned up and such." Garnet said placing a hand on Lapis shoulder "Then find something to eat. We need to-"

A sudden rapping at the door made them fall silent. They sat there frozen before Jasper moved. She motioned for Blue to sit with Lapis as Bismuth went to the door. The knocking came a bit harder and faster as they all grabbed there weapons. Given the situation it could be anyone on the other side of the door. More importantly, anyone who Dewey could of sent to put them more into a box then they already were. They stood there ready to fight when an annoyed voice came from the other side.

"I swear to **GOD**, if you guys don't open this door." Pearl's voice spat from the other side "I'll personally-"

"Ok, ok, ok." Bismuth said as she started unlocking the door "No need for the threats P."

The moment the door was unlocked Pearl barged into the room. She said nothing as she b-lined for her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her tight. Jasper relaxed as she held Pearl close while Bismuth shut and locked the door again. It made Jasper a bit smudge to know that the first chance Pearl got, she came right to her.

"You look like crap." Lapis said as Pearl adjusted in Jasper's arms so she was tucked under her arm. "What happened?"

"Garnet." Pearl said turning to there silent friend and holding out her hand "Give me your gun."

"Why?" Blue asked.

"Don't question. Just give it." Pearl said.

"I need a reason Pearl." Garnet said. "You don't even know how to use it."

"I'll figure it out." Pearl growled surprising all of them.

"Babe." Jasper said. She placed her bat down against the wall before turning and putting her hands on Pearl's shoulders. "What happened? Did Dewey hurt you?"

Jasper looked her girlfriend over as she wrapped her arms around her small frame. Pearl wouldn't look her in the eyes. Jasper could see that she was slightly red. Her hair was a bit wet and she was shaking ever so slightly under Jasper's firm hands.

"The fucks on your neck?" Lapis asked coming over to them.

Pearl's hand shot up but Jasper grabbed it before she could hide what Lapis saw. Jasper felt Pearl tremble more as her other hand left her girlfriends shoulder and went to her chin. Slightly tilting Pearl's head to the right Jasper growled. For all to see sat a dark hickey on the bottom of Pearl's neck with teeth indents in her skin.

"Good god he is an animal." Lapis said pulling Pearl into a hug. "Did he do more then that?"

Jasper watched as her girlfriend shed a few tears and she clung onto Lapis "H-He said he would hurt Steven i-if I didn't do it."

"Do what?" Jasper asked. When Pearl locked eyes with her she knew "Garnet. Give me your gun."

"No." Garnet said.

"No way?" Bismuth said "He forced you to sleep with him?"

"I'll kill him." Lapis snapped.

"Gun." Jasper growled.

"No." Garnet said just as hard. "I know your upset. We all are but-"

"Open up." Dewey's voice came from the other side of there door with hard pounding. "I know Pearl's in there. Open. Now."

Jasper watched as the color drained from Pearl's face. She quickly detangled herself from Lapis' arms as Dewey bounded on the door again. They all looked at her surprised as she dropped to the floor. In one motion Pearl laid flat on the floor and pulled herself under the bed, disappearing from sight. Jasper blinked a bit before looking to Bismuth and nodding. As there friend unlocked the door Jasper moved Lapis to stand where Pearl went under the bed and sit down. Jasper herself moved to lean on the wall, crossing her arms and trying not to go rip the door off its hinges.

The second the door was open Dewey came bursting in. He was frowning but had a dopey smile on him the next second. Jasper frowned deeper as Dewey looked around, putting his hands on his hips. She wanted nothing more then to smash his smug face into the wall for what he did to Pearl. For marking what was hers. He had some big balls and Jasper couldn't wait to kill him herself. Make it nice and slow.

"Where is she?" Dewey said looking not at Jasper but Pearl's sister.

"She passed by earlier looking for something to eat." Blue said softly "But she looked upset. Did something happen?"

"She looked upset?" Dewey aske looking a bit shocked.

"Yea she did." Lapis said as Bismuth slowly closed the door, leaning on it. "Wanna tell us why?"

"W-W-Well." Dewey stammered as he turned around to see the door closed and blocked. "W-We had a talk."

"A talk?" Jasper said frowning deeper as the trembling idiot in front of her "Dose a talk involve leaving hickeys on her skin?"

Dewey looked like he was going to cry. He couldn't back up fast enough before Jasper's hands were on him. The others were telling her to stop and put him down but she didn't listen. She picked Dewey up by the front of his shirt and slammed him into the wall. Dewey kicked his feet in the air uselessly as Jasper got inches from his face. Bismuth and Garnet were yanking on her arms but they couldn't move her if there lives depended on it.

"What part of 'do more then hold her hand and ill do more then kill you' did not get through that think skull of yours?" Jasper growled.

"P-Put me down or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" Jasper cut him off faster then her fist could fly "Force me to sleep with you too?" Dewey swallowed hard as Jasper continued "Do you think threatening Steven against her was a smart thing? Hurt her like that to do anything you want? Unlike Pearl I will beat the hell out of my problems before considering giving into them. You got what you wanted and made her cry. Where do you get off?"

"Well this last time was in Pearl." Dewey said with a smile "And it was great."

Jasper saw red. She growled so loud the windows rattled. Jasper pulled Dewey off the wall and slammed him back into it. Her fist hit his chest so hard that his body cracked the wall. The others were trying to pull Jasper off Dewey but there was nothing they could do to stop her. Jasper brought her fist back and slammed it into the Dewey's face. The others went from telling her to put him down to stop hitting him. They weren't too enthusiastic about stopping Jasper until Dewey started to bleed. Jasper beat the hell out of the skinny boy until his face was covered in blood.

Jasper wasn't going to be satisfied until Dewey was dead but she had enough sense to know she got her point across. She dragged Dewey's half conscious body through the room and to the door.

"Do it again Dewey, make Pearl cry." Jasper said as she threw him out of the room and conveniently at his fathers feet who was passing bye "Next time you decide to rape her ill do to you what you do to her and you better hope a hoard gets to you before I do."

Jasper slammed the door so hard that it raddled in its frame. Her breath was coming hard and her hands were shaking. "We need to be alone." Jasper growled. "Please."

"I hope that was worth it." Lapis said "If we get kicked out over this I'm going to be pissed you didn't just kill him."

Jasper turned and watched the others shuffle into the next room. None of them were upset. hey all looked quite pleased with Jasper's handy work. The last thing she saw was Garnet giving her a thumbs up before shutting the door. Jasper waisted no time in locking the doors and then kneeling next to the bed.

"Pearl?" Jasper said bending down and looking under the bed "Its ok to come out now."

Jasper was a bit confused when she didn't see Pearl under the bed anymore. Her confusion went away when she felt slender arms around her shoulders. Jasper sat back on her legs and Pearl moved to be in front of her. She waisted no time in pulling the slender girl into her arms and holding her close. Pearl in turn pressed her face into Jasper's neck and sighed.

"You didn't-"

"No." Jasper said cutting Pearl off as she rubbed small circles on her back "I wanted to kill him but scarring the hell out of him with my fists felt much better to do."

Pearl let out a small laugh as she pressed a kiss to Jasper's neck before pulling back. She placed her forehead on Jasper's and the giants eyes slid closed.

"Thank you." Pearl said softly. "Next time, rip his dick off."

Jasper let out a laugh before scooping Pearl up into her arms and pecking kisses across her face. Pearl laughed and tried to get away but wasn't really trying too hard. After a bit she managed to push Jasper's face away enough to give her an actual kiss. "Now, would you mind fixing this abomination on my skin?"

"It would be my pleasure." Jasper's voice purred.

* * *

**Note:** I felt like this was a bit of filler but necessary filler. I got the next two chapters planed out on my head and more people to die! I'm really liking where this is going. More characters to come and this isn't the last of Peridot!


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note**: Here is chapter 5. I'm working on another fic and ran away to this story to help with my writers block. I got so far into the next chapter I forgot this one was done so here ya go! Review/rate is always loved! 3

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Pearl**

It had been two weeks since they had come to the compound and nothing has been easy. Dewey had up'd his pressure game so bad that no one could get to Pearl other then Steven. Not even her own sister. Dewey hadn't been fazed by Jasper's beat down. It only made him more psychotic. He lost his mind to the point of raping Pearl 2 more times, both while she was asleep, being woken up to it, and being handcuffed to the bed so she couldn't get away. He also made it so she wasn't allowed out of the room without himself. It has gotten so bad Pearl had to resort to sleeping in the bathroom, sword in hand, and not coming out unless she was alone in the room. She was trapped.

Pearl herself felt like she was a prisoner, and she basically was. She felt sick and disgusting. She refused to eat unless Dewey was not in the room and only when Steven was with her and alone. At first Dewey had refused Pearl's demands but after four days of her not eating he caved in, the fear of Jasper finding out knolling at the back of his mind. Pearl was playing her hand the best way she could in Dewey's sick game. His own father thought his son was taking things too far but was too preoccupied with other things to really stop him. The rest of her group had no clue what room Pearl was in but knew the floor she was on. It was heavily guarded and not just anyone could come up to it. Pearl had been able to get messages to them by writing them down on paper and putting them in Steven's pocket before they would come to take him back to the others. At first she wasn't sure that they were getting them until Garnet had written a note back to her. Pearl was able to keep up with them all and there plan to learn how to get out of this hell and she was able to tell them Dewey and his fathers sleep schedules from here plus what he was doing to her, per her girlfriends request. To say Jasper was on a murderous rampage every time she saw Dewey was an understatement. It took the reminder of her whole group that killing him right away would end in them never getting to Pearl and being trapped here forever. Every. Time.

She also was able to tell them everyone important to them that was running the compound was kept on her floor so she knew when most people would come and go by the sound of doors clicking and shuffling in the hallway. The last note told her of there plan in the next two days to make there break out attempt. They had done a test run with Lapis to see if she could get in and out without going noticed and it seemed like they had everything together. The only thing remaining was to get to Pearl before running. They had all there stuff, including Pearl's, so she was the only missing peace.

Pearl was sitting on the floor, letting Steven play with her hair, when gun fire came to her ears. At first Pearl paid no mind to it. The guards would shoot zombies here and there for target practice or when they were board. This time however, there was more then the gun fire and zombie moans and screams to fill the air. There was a deafening roar that made Steven stop and Pearl's heart pick up.

Pearl got to her feet, Steven death gripping her hand, and made her way over to the window. Looking out into the darkening world she saw it. A hoard bigger then she had ever seen before was attacking the compound walls. The bodies of the walking dead stretched for three city blocks and they were so loud that she almost missed it. The mass in the center and making its way towards them.

The monster.

It was roaring so loud that it hurt Pearl's ears, even when it was over a block away still. It shoved zombies out of its way as it raced towards the wall. The more it roared and screeched the more zombies attacked the defenses. The guards were doing a good job of keeping back the masses but it was evident that they wouldn't be able to do it for long.

Fear ran through Pearl's body as she twisted around and kneeled in front of Steven "Steven. I need you to be brave for me again." She said as he shook under her grip "The second the door opens I need you to run out and go to the others. Find Blue and stick by her and Jasper. Do _not_ leave there sides no matter what ok?"

"Are you coming to?" Steven asked as the roaring of the monster got closer, the sound of metal screeching as the wall started to give. Cars buckling under the press of dead bodies. The yelling of people to keep the masses back.

"I'll be right behind you but you need to look straight ahead no matter what and run ok? Can you do that for me?" Pearl asked as she twitched from a buckling sound and shouting out in the hallway.

"I can!" Steven said with a smile and flexing his tiny arms, his eyes shinning brightly up at Pearl.

"Good boy." Pearl said kissing his head and giving him a quick hug. "Now go hide so you can run out the door, I'll be right behind you."

Steven nodded as he ran out of the bed room. The second he was gone Pearl shut and locked the door. She dragged a chair infront of it and went over to the window. As she pried it open she could hear Dewey and a few others shouting as they ran into the suite. Pearl grabbed her sword tight in her hand kicked the screen of the window out as the bedroom knob jiggled.

"Pearl, open up!" Dewey shouted from the other side. "We need to go!"

Pearl sat on the windowsill and swung her legs out as she watched the wall give. Zombies poured into the compound and the fighting began. There was screaming and shouting as the living and dead clashed. The living were putting up a good fight but it wasn't going to last very long without more help. Pearl looked down to see several zombies gathering below her. She was four floors up. If she timed it just right the dead could break her fall, or she could only break a bone or two. Neither choice was appealing but staying wasn't any better. As the door banged in behind her Pearl curled her legs up so she was crouching.

"Pearl!" Pearl glanced behind her at Dewey as she hung partly out the window. "Come back inside this instant!"

"Why?" Pearl asked.

"Steven will get hurt if you don't." Dewey said giving her a crazy smile and taking a step towards her.

"How? He isn't here." Pearl said mater-o-factly. She smiled a bit as Dewey looked around surprised and confused before turning back to her.

"Come my love." he said holding out his hand to Pearl. "Is death worth letting me go?"

Pearl looked him over for a moment before turning back and jumping out the window. Dewey yelled behind her as she fell the four floors straight down into the waiting zombies below. Peral was certain she broke several arms and legs with her landing but she was ok. Only after she got to her feet and brushed the dirt off herself did the gravity of her impulse decision sink in.

Pearl looked up slowly to see zombies in front of her. _Oh, fuck_, Pearl thought taking a step back, _did __**not **__think this through_. They were moving towards her when the monster let out an ear shattering roar. Pearl covered her ears and flinched as the zombies suddenly stopped. They stopped everything. They stopped trying to eat the living and just stood there. The guards quickly cut down the zombies in front of them but soon stood stone still like the dead themselves. The monster slowly made its way to the whole in the wall and stopped. Its many eyes looked to Pearl then around the compound. It stared at Pearl for a moment before letting out a deep rumble from its chest and backing up a bit. Pearl's heart was beating in her ears so loud that she almost didn't hear Dewey yell down at her.

"Pearl! Come back inside this instant!" Dewey snapped hanging out the window like an idiot. Pearl looked from him to the monster then back again. Dewey could see Pearl questioning her options as he yelled down to her again "I can't protect you from down there!"

"Thank god." Pearl said facing Dewey and flipping him off "Get _fucked_ you no good low down raping peace of fucking _**shit**_!"

Pearl turned on her heals and with all the courage she could muster she walked off towards the hoard. There was no way she would go back to Dewey. She rather die. Pearl marched right up to the monster and with all the gusto left in her blood she spoke. "Move."

The monster knelt down and roared right in Pearl's face. Pearl closed her eyes and internally screamed but her body held ferm and unfazed. _Oh god_, Pearl thought as she opened her eyes to see the monster level with her face, _Oh boy that is too close for comfort_. The monster looked at her and grunted with pained sounds before moving back a step. It let out a deep growl before turning away from Pearl. Pearl watched in amazement as the hoard of dead before her parted like the red sea. She stood there like an idiot. Her body was then moving before her mind had time to catch up with it.

Pearl slowly followed the monster into the zombie hoard. She could feel there glassy eyes on her form. She could hear them shuffling all around her as they parted out of her way. Pearl walked at a semi slow pace. Only when the monster growl deeply again did she stop. Pearl glanced over her shoulder to the compound. She could see the walls lined with the living, watching her go. From here she couldn't make out anyone in particular but she felt her friends eyes on her. _I'll come back for you_, she thought as she turned back around to see the monster had stopped as well, _This isn't goodbye._

The monster watched Pearl until she walked up to it and stopped a few feet away. The zombies started to close in the circle around them. It made Pearl finally start to shake in fear. Her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword. She readied herself incase one decided to attack. Pearl's heart was pounding in her ears. She was scared. Scared she was going to die. Scared she was never going to get back to her family. Afraid that she would never see the sun again.

As if the monster sensed Pearl's fear it let out a horrid screech. Pearl yelped in surprise and pain, covering her ears and slamming her eyes shut. Her body tensed and she readied herself to fight until her last breath. When it didn't come she opened her eyes again. To her surprise the hoard was... leaving? They had all turned and walked off in all directions. She could hear there dead moans and grunts as they left. Behind her she could hear gunfire start again as some had turned back to the compound. Pearl didn't dare turn around though. She knew she would run back and that would more then likely make the monster angry enough to kill her. It had went to a lot of trouble to keep her alive so far so it must want something... right? This made Pearl think as she lowered her hands. The monster attacked her and Steven at the light house. It tried to kill them. At Peridot's it followed them. It didn't attack when Pearl pulled her sword from its shoulder. Running away from it it tried to catch them. Now it followed the group all the way here and hasn't brought Pearl all this way to just kill her. No it could of done that at any time. It wanted her alive and it was taking her somewhere? Maby? She didn't understand what it was after, what it was doing. Its behavior and existence itself was out of science fiction and horror movies. Nothing made sense to her!

_It's the apocalypse Pearl. Just go with the crazy_, Pearl thought before speaking "What now?"

Her voice was so small that at first she thought that the monster didn't hear her. She took a breath again when it rumbled deep from its chest before turning away and continuing its walk forward. Well it was more of walking on its hands since the top half of its body was horribly disproportioned to its human bottom half. Pearl had half a mind to just run off down an ally or into a building but she weighed her options and decided that following the monster was the smarter option. She hadn't died yet or been bitten so why not? Not like she had much choice anyway.

Pearl followed behind the monster for what felt like forever. She had no idea where she was going or what part of the city they were in. The monster had chased off other zombies who did not heed its roars and groans as warning when getting too close. Pearl herself had to kill several zombies that tried to eat her while the big thing was too far away. In an ironic way she felt like she was walking an oversize mutt with no leash and the need for human flesh. Yea, totally normal.

After a while Pearl stopped walking. A yawn escaped her lips and she couldn't help but rub her eyes. The monster growled and she frowned in response. "I'm tired." She said running a hand through her hair.

She looked up to see the monster looking at her with some of its eyes while the rest were moving around. Pearl herself tried not to sway on her feet. She was exhausted. Between the adrenaline to the long hours of restless nights it was finally biting her (pun intended) in the butt. The monster tried to get Pearl moving again but she just couldn't bring herself to move forward another step. It growled and huffed at her and Pearl rolled her eyes. _Just like a puppy_, she thought "No. I said I'm tired."

The monster growled again and stormed over to Pearl. It bent down to be eye level with her and it roared again. Pearl couldn't help but flinch and stumble backwards. She didn't have it in her to be brave anymore. She barley had it in her to still function. The monster in response was to...whimper?

Pearl looked at it a bit confused before she yelled in surprise. The monster reached out and wrapped its clawed hand around her slender frame. She kicked in panic as she was lifted from the ground. Pearl trembled in the monsters grip as it pulled her uncomfortably close. She actually forgot how to breath as the monster grumbled lowly in the back of its throat. Pearl would puke if she had anything in her to do it. She was terrified.

"P-Put me down!" Pearl said reaching out and smacking one of its eyes. "Now!"

The monster flinched back and the puples of its many eyes shrunk small.

_Oh shi-_

The monster let out a roar so loud several buildings windows shattered. It turned in on fluid motion and threw Pearl. She screamed pretty loud as she few down the street and tumbled down into a hole. Pearl hit several peace's of concrete and cars on her way down. She grunted and tried to get her footing with each hit and spiral her body did.

The last thing Pearl saw was a wall of collapsed street before its all went dark.

**Jasper**

She felt her blood run cold when a roar echoed through the air. There was shouting about zombies at the wall but when she reached the top of one she couldn't believe her eyes. There were thousands of them! They stretched on forever! Her bat in her grip suddenly felt like not enough of a weapon.

"Oh boy." Jasper glanced to the side to see Bismuth vocalizing what she thought "I'm gonna need to do line to do _this_."

"Think we waited too long." Garnet said coming up on Jasper's other side with Lapis.

"Ya think." Lapis said turning on her heals and running back down to the ground "Dammit!"

None of them moved as they watched the wall give and the zombies start to pore in. There eyes were focused on the ear shattering roar coming there way. Shoving its way through the hoard was the monster. It was screaming and racing right towards them all.

"That thing doesn't fucking stop dose it?" Bismuth said turning away. "I'll get the others ready, don't take too long."

Out of the corner of her eye Jasper saw a flash of movement. She looked to see her girlfriend jump out a window and fall onto several zombies. She was across the wall in an instant but slid to a stop when everything stopped around her. She watched as Dewey yelled out the window at Pearl. She couldn't help but laugh at the string of profanities that left her girlfriends mouth. Dewey must of really sent Pearl over the edge mentally for her to lose her calculated manners and proper mouth. A sailor would blush at her words right now. She watched as Pearl turned on her heal and did the dumbest thing she ever could do. She marched up to the monster and snapped at it. She just watched on in shock as Pearl stood firm at the monsters roar in her face before... _What the hell is she thinking?!Oh my god she's finally lost it, _Jasper thought in her head as she watched Pearl walk off into the zombie hoard.

A lot of people in the compound flooded to the walls as they watched Pearl walk off following the monster. The dead parted like the sea around them. As they got further and further away the whispering started. Jasper and Garnet glanced around them as the whispered words came to there ears.

_Why did she follow it?_

_Did it come for her?_

_Does she control it?_

_Did she come here to kill us all?_

_Her friends in with the monsters too?_

They watched with strained eyes as Pearl slowly started to shrink away. When she paused and looked back Jasper just wanted to jump down and run after her. To yell at her for being stupid right now. To lavish her in kisses for telling Dewey to fuck off. Watching her turn away and continue walking reminded Jasper that they weren't safe. That all this wasn't over. She looked down to see the zombie still standing at the clear opening to them all.

"We need to go." Jasper said nudging Garnet's arm as she took a step back from the wall. Both girls walked briskly down to the ground and into the hotel as the monsters roar echoed through the air. They weren't even through the main doors before the shouting started. They took off across the hotel loby as gun fire started to fill the air once more and people started flooding into the hotel for cover. Both girls ran through the once fancy dinning room and sprinted through the kitchen. They waisted no time in flying through the back doors and b-lining for the wall. Lapis and Blue sat on top of the wall as the two giants came to a stop under them.

"Where are the others?" Jasper asked as she laced her fingers together and helped Garnet to the top of the wall.

"Here!" Bismuth called from the other side of the wall as Garnet helped Blue down on the other side. "Were all ready. Lets go!"

Jasper world around as the kitchen door banged open behind her. To her surprise and dismay Dewey came stumbling out with two zombies chasing after him. Jasper watched him stumble around in a circle babbling like a baby. She would of watched him all day but a shoe to the top of her head made her frown and look up.

"Lets go you brick house-hey what are you doing?!"

Jasper tuned out Lapis as she stepped forward and swung her bat. She crushed one zombies skull in while she kicked the other back through the door. Dewey was a babbling mess of gratitude until he saw who had saved him. Jasper was all smiles as she walked over to Dewey, who was scrambling backwards as fast as he could. She grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him to his feet. He looked like he was about to cry. Good. She wanted him to cry.

"Don't worry Dewey." Jasper said dragging him back over to the wall. "Your coming with us."

"Are you serious?!" Lapis snapped.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Jasper said looking down as Dewey with a smile that would scare a monster "I have a promise to keep after all. Besides if we need, he can be great bait."

"W-W-W" Dewey couldn't form any words for how hard he was stuttering.

"He can still run." Garnet said.

"Not if he has a broken leg."

The cry Dewey let out, to say the least, was very loud and high pitched. Jasper put all her strength into her swing as she brought it around and shattered Dewey's kneecap and most of his shin. Oh how she wanted to just keep swinging her back and breaking him into tiny peace's but now wasn't the time.

"There, I fixed the problem." She said.

Jasper took a step back and literally threw Dewey over the wall. Hearing him cry when he hit the ground on the other side was music to her ears. She handed her bat up to Lapis and her and Garnet helped her up to the top of the wall. Jumping down to the other side she started laughing as she watched Blue kick Dewey as hard as she could in the face. Blue wasn't a fighter but she had her sister fighting spirit when it came to protecting the ones she cared about. Steven was the only one who told her to stop hurting Dewey, his innocence unintentionally ruining the fun.

"We need to move." Garnet said as Jasper took her stuff from the others. They could hear the chaos on the other side of the wall and getting louder. It was only a matter of time before the dead found them.

Jasper grabbed Dewey by the arm and dragged him along as they moved. To say there trip through the city was hard was putting it nicely. Around every corner, in every building, down every ally, there was no escaping the hoards. The city was flooded with them. They were getting tired and running out of time. They had no idea where they were. The only indication was passing a street sign a few feet back. Third and Fredriksson street that Sapphire had pointed out.

"We need a plan, fast." Bismuth said as they all gathered in a circle. They were in the middle of the street and almost out of breath. Blood was splattered across there cloths and small cuts and bruises blooming on there skin. There were over a dozen zombies around them and closing in.

"Use the blubbering baby." Lapis spat as she swung and knocked a zombie back "He's been screaming this whole time and telling everything within ear shot where we are."

"Too many for bate, too far apart." Jasper growled taking down two zombies who attacked her.

"Then _why_ did we bring him?" Lapis snapped.

"Because I haven't broken every bone in his body yet." Jasper said "And I have a promise to keep."

She didn't know who was crying harder. Dewey who was a blubbering mess behind her or Ruby and Steven who were clinging to Blue. There circle got smaller as more zombies came onto the street and towards them.

"Garnet." Bismuth said as they collectively started to back up "Were gonna need a plan here."

"Working on it." Garnet growled kicking a zombie back.

"Work faster." Jasper growled.

They moved back and were nearing an alleyway when Sapphire spoke up. "This way!"

"Wait Sapphire!" Ruby said.

Jasper looked to see Sapphire disappear down the ally dragging Ruby behind her.

"Don't run off!" Garnet snapped turning on her heals and running after them.

"Garnet!" Lapis yelled after her.

Jasper rolled her eyes and reached down and grabbed Dewey by the arm while shoving Lapis forward with the other. "C'mon, go! Move!"

Blue picked Steven up in her arms and soon they were all running down the alleyway. They ran behind Garnet a few feet with her chasing down Sapphire and Ruby a few feet ahead of her. She was shouting at them to stop while the others were yelling at them all to slow down. They ran through back streets and alleyways following Sapphire until they hit a dead end. Before they could say anything grunts and growls echoed against brick walls at them. They turned around quickly to see a hoard shuffling towards them.

"Quickly!" Sapphire said. They looked on as she quickly climbed up onto a dumpster and onto a rusted fire escape. She climbed up to the third level and stopped at a barred window.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked as Garnet helped her up onto the escape.

Sapphire said nothing as she seemed to pull a key out of nowhere and unlock the bars on the window. In one fluid motion she had the window open and disappeared inside. No one had time to question as a zombie lunged at them.

"Hurry up!" Bismuth said as Jasper threw Dewey on the ground behind them and both shoved the zombie back into the others. As it fell back it knocked some of its dead companions over, giving them a bit more time. "Help them."

Jasper let Bismuth take the front while she took a few steps back to the others. She helped Garnet lift up Blue then Steven onto the escape. As the hoard got there bearings and started towards them again they literally threw Lapis up. Jasper didn't give Garnet a chance to say anything as she threw her up there next. "Bismuth, lets go!"

Bismuth backed up to Jasper's side as the giant picked Dewey up off the ground. Instead of passing him off to the others she jumped up onto the dumpster and hug him up by his shirt like a ornament on the railing.

"H-H-Hey!" He yelled kicking his one good leg as Jasper and Bismuth climbed up past him to join the others. "W-What are you d-d-doing?!"

Jasper turned back and leaned on the railing as the others were going through the window above her. She simply smiled down at Dewey as the zombies made it to the dumpster. She had a wild crazy smile on her face as Dewey started to cry. He kicked his good leg at the hands reaching up at him and tried to hold his shattered leg up with little success.

"If it were up to me, I would bring you up here and break every bone in your body." Jasper said swinging her bat back and forth, tapping it off the railing over and over.

"W-Why?"

"Because I know everything you've done to my girlfriend." Jasper said darkly leaning over and getting very close to Dewey's face. She patted his head as his shirt ripped a bit, causing him to drop just a bit lower. The zombies could brush against his toes now and he death gripped the railing above his head.

"If it was up to me I would drag you along until we found her again. Id break every bone in your body for every tear she shed. Every bruise and hickey I would find I would pull out one of your teeth. Very. Slowly."

There was a clearing of a throat over head and Jasper looked up to see Garnet sitting on the windowsill, rotating her finger in a circle, silently telling her to wrap it up. Jasper huffed annoyed before turning back to Dewey.

"Or I would let her hurt you." Jasper said continuing with a shrug "But this is all that will happen to you."

"What's g-going to h-h-happen to me?" He stammered looking up at the giant.

Jasper said nothing but a smile. She leaned over and curled her fingers into a fist. She brought her hand up and slammed it down into Dewey's fingers. He cried out and let go of the railing, allowing a zombie to grab his foot. Jasper grabbed his shirt where it was stuck on the railing and yanked back, ripping him free. As he fell into the zombies below Jasper quickly climbed up to where Garnet was and disappeared through the window. Dewey's screams were muffled as she turned and shut the window behind her.

"Where did that mean guy go?" Steven asked as they all backed away from the window a bit.

"He ran off to draw the zombies away." Jasper said ruffling Steven's hair from where he was latched to Blue's side "So we will be safe for now."

"He ran off to help us? Even after he made Pearl cry?" Steven asked confused "I don't like when Pearl cries."

"Sapphire." Garnet's voice cut through the silence as all eyes turn the smaller girls "How did you know about that window?"

Sapphire was looking anywhere but at Garnet. She was digging the toe of her shoe into the floor and holding onto Ruby's hand tightly.

"Where are we?" Lapis asked as they all took a good look around.

This building was old. It looked run down, before the apocalypse even happened. Cobwebs hung from the tall ceiling in this narrow hallway. The dark floor covered with a carpet holeyer then the pope spanded the whole hall. Bringing her eyes down Jasper saw that the bottom half of the walls had colors sprawled across them. Squinting at them she saw that they were drawings. Kids drawings made with crayon.

"Oh!" Ruby said "You came from here right?"

Jasper blinked in remembering Sapphire was adopted as she watched the small girl nod. It was only two years ago that her family had brought her to Beach City and it felt like she had always been apart of there lives. She remembered when Ruby had talked about making a new friend and when she had brought Sapphire over for the first time. She was quiet and shy at first but quickly warmed up and became one of the group in just one meeting. It was hard to remember that she had come from here.

"C'mon, I know where we can sleep for the night." Sapphire said turning on her heals and pulling Ruby down the hall.

The walk through this place was quiet and eerie. Except for the occasional moan and groan from outside it was completely silent. Just moving through this building made jasper's skin crawl. No one should live in a place like this. She wasn't even a child and she didn't wanna be here. Not longer then she had too.

Jasper was pulled out of her thoughts as a zombies groan filled the air. The group slowed to a stop as they came to the center of the hall. Here the hall opened to a double staircase hugging the walls and a desk on the bottom floor. They could see that it was the front lobby to this place and the double doors leading out were wide open. One zombie was walking around inside while several others stumbled around just beyond the doors. Before anyone could say anything Sapphire got on her hands and knees and started crawling across the open upper floor. The rest of the long hallway was already littered with broken furniture and looked like crap but Sapphire navigated around it with ease. Once she got to the other end of the open hall and behind the wall she shot the others a thumbs up.

"How have you not lost your mind with the pair of them?" Bismuth whispered to Garnet as Ruby was next to move.

"Patience, love, and trust." Garnet murmured following next.

One by one they made it across the hall until it was Blue, Steven and Jasper left to crawl. When Jasper nudged Steven forward be back pedaled until he was pressed right up against her again. "Go on. Just like the others did."

"I-I can't." Steven whimpered softly. "I-I'm s-scared."

"It's ok little man." Jasper said ruffling his hair before signaling to the others to go on further.

"N-No its not." Steven said hugging himself and turning to hide his face in Jasper's frame. "I want my dad. I want Pearl. I wanna go home."

"Me too bud." Jasper said "But right now we need to get somewhere safe before we can go home ok?"

"Promise?" Steven asked sniffling a bit.

"Promise but we can't do that by staying here." Jasper said. No matter how big bad and tough she was, Steven never saw her as someone scary. He saw her as a big strong super hero (his words) He had seen her be super scary before and she had felt bad after but he had stars in his eyes and was convinced Jasper was a super hero with scary spooky ghost powers. No one bothered to correct him.

"Will go across together ok?" Blue said gently taking Steven's hand.

With a nod they started there journey. Jasper went first and slowly started army crawling across the floor. She nudged Blue with her foot and her and Steven crawled on there hands and knees next to her. Due to her huge frame she mostly blocked them. During there slow move Jasper watched as Sapphire had everyone pressed up against the one wall. She was looking around a doorway frantically as an all too close groan filled the air. Jasper had a wave of panic hit her and on pure instinct she shoved Steven behind a broken dresser in front of them and pushed Blue down flat onto the floor next to her. She watched through thick lashes as Sapphire hugged the wall with the others and covered her mouth.

Coming out of the room she was glancing in stumbled out several zombies. Several children sized zombies. Jasper could see Sapphire's tears from here. She was trembling where she was and was trying so hard to hold still. To there credit the zombies seem to have not noticed any of them. They just slowly shuffled by. The only thing moving of the living were there eyes. They slowly made there way towards Jasper and Blue. The giants eyes jumped from the zombies to Steven. The boy couldn't see what was happening from where he was but he was hugged up against the dresser. He was petrified and for once, that was the best thing.

There was a crashing sound from down the hallway the zombies had come from and all eyes in the building turned in that direction. Using the distraction to her advantage Jasper got on her hands and knees and quickly shifted over to Blue, laying mostly over her like a shield. She felt her trembling and murmured low in her ear. "Don't move."

Suddenly there were several bangs and the room filled with smoke. Zombie sounds and rapid stomping circled around them. Jasper death gripped Blue to herself as little hands came into her line of sight.

"C'mon!" A child's voice said was several hands grabbed Jasper's arms and pulled.

Jasper got to her feet and was quickly dragged down the hall. She was holding Blue so tightly to herself that the small girls feet barely touched the floor. She could hear the others coughing as they were pulled this way and that, over obstacles and under them (Hitting her head rather hard on a specific obstacle). Eventually they were brought to a small room and found themselves standing in front of a tunnel of sorts through a wall.

"This way!" A voice called through the opening.

Jasper didn't have time to really decide if this was a good idea or not when she herd the sound of dead shuffling behind her. She simply pulled Blue down to the floor with her and, not so gracefully, shoved her through to opening.

"Jas-"

"I'm right behind you." She cut Blue's words off. "Move blueberry."

Blue huffed but started moving. Jasper quickly followed behind her and after crawling under all sorts of random objects, most of which she bumped into and unintentionally cursed at, they came out to a open room covered in fairy lights and bunk beds. Getting to there feet Jasper saw Sapphire surrounded by several children and hugging/crying all over them. Everyone was accounted for and when coming over to join them a taller kid with glasses came up to her and smiled, offering her hand.

"I'm Sardonyx, welcome to watermelon Island."

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**Authors Note 2:** I made Pearl's part shorter and jasper's longer to drive home the point that Pearl's waking time had been cut VERY short but don't worry, she's not dead.


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: **It's short, I suck, but its something. I needed this to be short (and kinds filler) to get to the next part I want.

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**Chapter 6**

**Pearl**

Everything was blury as Pearl struggled to come back to the wakeing world. A groan escaped her lips and seemed to grab the attention of whatever was around her. She tried to sit up but couldn't figure out how to make her limbs move. Her body felt heavy as lead with a radiating pain pulsing through her core. Her eyes refused to focus on anything, leaving the world around her dark with shapeless figures lurking about. Her head was pounding so hard she felt like her eyes would pop out of her skull. There was a voice somewhere but the pressure in her body and head was too great, forcing her back into unconsciousness.

**Jasper**

Jasper looked at the kids hand in surprise but reached out and shook it "Watermelon Island?''

"Living in a place like this was hard _before_ the end of the world." Sardonyx's said "We make due to get through anyway we can."

"How did you know we were here?" Ruby asked as Sapphire pulled her into the group of kids.

"We herd the widow creek open after the bars did that horrible screeching they always do." Sardonyx said coming over and hugging Sapphire "It is so good to see you again! Sorry it had to be a repeat performance for our reunion."

"It was still spectacular. You really perfected that smoke bomb trick. We couldn't see a thing." Sapphire said hugging the taller girl back "I'm surprised your all alive. I'm sure she would of just..."

"...She did try." Sardonyx said flatly before smiling again "Got herself bit for her troubles. We locked her in her office."

"Hey Sapphire...Was she the lady who hurt you?" Ruby asked.

"Hurt you?" Bismuth said a bit surprised "Who would hurt you?"

"N-No-one." Sapphire said.

"Sappy." Ruby said holding her hand.

"Its nothing." Sapphire practically growled yanking her hand away. "It doesn't matter."

"Sapphire." Garnet's voice made the small girl stop. They all watched as she walked over and knelt in front of her "End of the world or not, **no-one** has the right to hurt you, in any way. Jasper made the guy who hurt Pearl disappear and your friends here have given us the opportunity to make the lady who hurt _you_ disappear. Would you want that?"

Jasper turned away from there conversation to look around the room. The only way out seemed to be the makeshift tunnel they had crawled through. Several bunkbed frames were pushed up against the wall and door along with some dressers, effectively blocking the door. There were mattresses gathered in one big pail against the back wall and a makeshift door of sorts to block the tunnel entrance. By the way the room was built up it seemed like it was like this long before the zombies came around.

"This room was already like this." Jasper said looking at Sardonyx. The kids around there leader refused to meet the giants eyes. She could see that they were doing the same thing Sapphire would do when she was ashamed or scared. They stood quiet and refused to make eye contact. They seemed to shrink into themselves and make themselves smaller.

"Whoever hurt you can't hurt you anymore you know." Lapis said off handedly "Your safe here. Well safe as you can be in the zombie apocalypses."

Jasper looked down as she felt a tug on her pant leg. Steven was looking at her with tears in his eyes.

"Hey runt." Jasper said kneeling to get as close to eye level as she could with Steven "What's wrong? What's got you upset strong man?" She asked as Steven sniffled rather loudly.

"I-I miss Pearl." He said trying to scrub the tears from his eyes "I want my dad... I-I want my mamma."

Jasper felt herself break a little as Blue knelt next to her a pulled Steven into her arms. He never really called Pearl mom, in any since of the word because he understood that she wasn't, unless he was really upset or really missing her. Right now it was both.

"I know bud, I miss her too." Jasper said.

"Why did that monster take her away? I want her back!"

"So do we Steve-o." Lapis said coming over and rubbing his back as he turned and clung to Jasper.

"Was the monster super big and scary looking?"

Jasper looked up in suprise as a skinny girl spoke out of the group of kids watching them.

"Did you see it?" Ruby asked desplaying what they all felt. Hope.

The skinny girl nodded pointing out the window.

"It was here about the time the sun went down." She said as Jasper picked Steven up and they all moved to see where the girl was pointing. Out the window there was a big section of the road that was sunk into the earth. It looked like something big bad and horrible came crashing through here. The buildings across the small park (if you could even call it that) had all there windows shattered. Cars were over turned and discarded along the road as if they were making a crude path. The amount of blood everywhere was beyond disturbing. It bothered Jasper enough to shift Steven in her arms so he couldn't really see what she saw. He was going to have enough nightmares as it was. She didn't see a point to add to them.

"It came back with a girl following them." The kid said.

"What did she look like?" Ruby asked.

"Um, she was thin and alive I think. She wasn't limping like the dead but she was really slow. She was in a blue shirt and jeans I think. It was hard to really see from here."

"Was she hurt?" Blue asked softly clinging to Jasper just as hard as Steven.

"She didn't look hurt until she made the monster mad."

"She made it mad?" Lapis asked suprised.

"Yea. She stopped walking and seemed to yell at it. It picked her up and she must of hit it or something cause it roared really loud and broke all the windows over there."

"What did the monster do?" Jasper asked with her voice edging on pure anger.

"It threw her down the big hole." The skinny girl said looking out the window and frowning "She screamed really loud too. Hope she is ok."

Lapis ran her hands up threw her hair and Garnet mirrored Bismuth's shocked look. Jasper tried so hard not to crush Steven in her arms as him and Blue couldn't stop there tears but she couldn't stop herself from shaking.

What in the world was Pearl thinking?! That damn monster was already after all of them and she stupidly followed it out into the city. Now she decided to hit it?! Jasper questioned if she could really even do this whole surviving thing before one of the kids spoke up in the group.

"Hey look! The monsters comming out!"

Jasper looked on to see the monster that fuled there nightmares emmerge from the hole. They watched on in horror as not one, but four more monsters came out behind the first.

"Good fucking lord." Lapis breathed as the monsters stood around the entrance of the hole "Where in the name of zombie hoards are those fucking things coming from?!"

"And I thought just one was a problem." Bismuth mumbled. "How do we even begin to get by those things?"

"We don't." Garnet said flatly.

"W-What are we going to do?" Blue asked tugging on Jasper's arm as Steven whimpered.

All Jasper could do was shake her head. She had no idea what to say, let alone where to start. The others were talking quickly and quietly but Jasper wasn't listening. She wasn't even really there. The giant backed up until she felt the bedfraimes at her back before sinking to the ground. She shifted Steven to her lap and has he wrapped his tiny arms around her neck she put her face in his hair. She simply held him as he seemed to cry enough for the both of them. There was nothing else to do.

**0**

Jasper didn't know when she had nodded off but the sounds of the dead brought her back pretty quick. Jasper herd the sound of grunting and hissing with wet smacking sounds. Those sound sent shivers down her spine. She slowly cracked open her eyes to see a mix of blue and black. Taking a breath she realized her face was burred into Blue and Steven's hair. As the sounds continued she turned her head just enough to see what was going on.

She wished she hadn't.

About five feet from her were four zombies, one looking to be a runner. They were all crouched around the group of kids in the corner. She could see at least three of the kids from here were dismembered with horror frozen on there dead faces. One of them being the skinny girl.

Jasper wanted to puke. Her heart sounded like it was beating out of her chest. She was trying to keep her breath even but god was it hard right now. She needed to think. Needed to act. They were all still in danger and sitting like a frozen statue wasn't about to help anyone. Her eyes ran around the room to assess the situation. To secretly see who was still alive.

_OK, _Jasper thought, _Steven and Blue are on me, so there alive. Good... Good. Pearl would kill me if they weren't._

Her eyes moved up and around. Her hand slowly moved from around Steven and to her bat at her side.

_Lapis is on Blue... Bismuth is next to Garnet with Ruby and... Oh god._

Looking through the zombies legs she locked eyes with Sardonyx. She had tears in her eyes as she looked at Jasper. She was trying so hard not to move as her friends were being eaten around her. As the zombies grunted and moaned she saw her flinch ever so slightly s a zombie reached for a severed arm near her. That moment of twitching let Jasper see that she was holding tight to someone's hand. To the stars above she hoped it was Sapphire and that she was still alive and ok.

As her fingers wrapped around the handle of the bat Jasper shifted her position. She slowly tucked her legs under herself and moved Steven to be in her left arm. Her moving caused Blue to stir. She turned her face and murmured in her ear as the slim girl took a deep waking breath. "Don't. Move."

Jasper brought her eyes up to see another zombie crawling through the makeshift tunnel. As its dead lips let out a moan she saw Garnet twitch ever so slightly. Her friend dragged her foot slightly to the side as the zombie pulled itself fully into the room. Jasper nudged her elbow into Blue slightly as she readied herself to move.

The thought of putting Steven down didn't cross Jasper's mind as she held him tight to herself, lunging forward like a wild animal. She swung her bat hard as she made contact with the side of the runners head. With a primal roar from both the living and dead an intense fight broke out. The kids screamed in terror as the Teens screamed in vengeance. Windows smashed and roars echoed from this room that was more alive then the world outside. Blood and body parts went everywhere. The room was painted red and it only furthered the sounds into the night. It was down to two zombies left in the room when things went from bad to worse.

Just as Jasper and Garnet readied to finish this fight a roar echoed into there skulls, making the world vibrate, but that wasn't the only reason it shook. A mutated clawed hand smashed through the window frame and wall. The claws sinking into the two zombies and then went threw the barricaded door with such force that the building seemed to shake on its knees. Everyone back up and screamed in surprise. The monster screamed back. They didn't think that all there commotion would of brought it over to them.

As it started retracting its arm the building shook violently. The cracks in the wall jetted up to the ceiling and started bringing it down. The monster thrashing its arm around in its attempt to get free caused the room, and seemingly the floor, to start to collapse. The sound of metal twisting and wood snapping filled the air as the floor under them shook and groaned.

"Go!" Jasper yelled pushing everyone towards the now open door "Go, go, go!"

Jasper held Steven like a football, tight to her side, as she practically shoved everyone towards the hallway. Jumping over twisted metal frames and broken furniture would of been comical to watch of there situation wasn't to dire. Bismuth was yanking Blue along with her as Garnet pulled on Ruby. Lapis wasn't moving and Jasper growled at her.

"Gimmy your hand!" Jasper shoved Steven into Garnet's arms as she turned to see what Lapis was yelling about. Lapis was reaching over a huge hole in the floor to Sapphire and Sardonyx. Both girls were petrified against the far wall where they had backed themselves up into to avoid the fight to begin with.

"C'mon!" Jasper yelled grabbing Lapis by the arm so she could lean out further to them "Move it short stack!"

Sardonyx was the one who broke out of there trance. She grabbed Sapphire and shoved her forward. Sapphire, the poor thing, tripped and almost fell down the hole. Lucky for her Lapis had fast reflexes and Jasper had a grip of steel. The giant yanked them both back and shoved them towards the others in the hall as the floor collapsed more. The monster had gotten its arm free and was trying to shoulder its way into the room. It had its many eyes fixed on the group in the hallway and no-one wanted to run faster then Jasper right now away from it.

"Jump!" Jasper yelled opening her arms. "Hurry up!"

"Its too far!" Sardonyx yelled back pressing herself more into the far corner as more of the floor fell away. She ended up falling on her butt as she tripped over the remains of the dead around her. "I won't make it!"

"Don't give me that!" Jasper snapped.

She was forced to back up as the monster started to win its fight against the crumbling wall. Jasper growled as she was forced back further into the hall with the others. The building shook and groaned around them. Peace's of the ceiling started to fall around them as bits of the wall cracked and parts of the floor started to sink. The sound of the dead started to float up to them as the wall before them creaked.

"Move!" Bismuth shouted.

"Donny!" Sapphire yelled as the doorway and wall in front of them collapsed. This caused the floor at there feet to give and they all went down. The tattered carpet insnaired them as the building came down on top of them. They scrambled to find purtaces in the crumbling walls and floors as they fell but oone could get a grip or find a ledge. The sound of the dead and there own petrified screams were cut off and the once tall building become there tomb, causing the assault of noise to be cut of and quiet once more with the night.

* * *

**Note 2**: Yea I really hate how short I have this but it is what it is. The next part will be much, much longer.

So Pearl's part is only a paragraph(ish) to symbolize that she isn't conscious at all. I didn't want to write her waking up ahead in the timeline when everyone else is still around and trying to survive and junk when she is god knows where doing what with who.

Hope you all are enjoying this so far! Rate, comment, review, anything! I love hearing your feedback and thoughts!


	7. Chapter 7

**Note: **And here it is, chapter 7! I made sure to make it super long and hope it makes you emotional like it did me to write!

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**Chapter 7**

**Pearl **

Pearl was convinced she was dead for a moment, but only a moment. The aching of her head and the dull pain coming from her shoulder and arm were telling her she was still breathing.

_Lady luck either loves me or thinks this is just funny_, She thought as she took a deep breath which hurt, _Ow._

Pearl groaned with more force then was nessessary that whoever was near here jumped and knocked something over. The sound of metal clattering to the floor made her wince. Pearl's hands were shaking as she brought them up to her eyes. She rubbed them a bit before trying to open them, which was a mistake. Everything was white, bright, and burned.

"Am I dead?" She mumbled moving her legs a bit. Trying to get functionality back into limbs that felt like lead was rather difficult.

"Not quite" Someone answered.

"I feel like I'm dead."

"The dead can't feel pain."

"Well, well, well. Look what my little pets dragged in."

_That voice..._

Pearl turned her head to the side and tried openeing her eyes again. It was till too bright but she could see a burry blob of pink standing near her. The voice itself made it clear who it was, even without being able to see there face.

"Spinel?" Pearl mumbled trying to move a bit more.

"Oh so now you acknowledge my presents." She her Spinel huff.

"What?... Where am I?" Pearl asked. She tried to sit up and that did not work out for her. Just lifting her head made everything go grey so she just laid back down and focused on trying to see straight. "Lights..."

"Oh. Sure, no problem."

"Jamie."

Spinel snapping didn't stop the light from dimming a bit. It gave Pearl the ability to blink a bit more, having things slowly come back into focus. Whoever Spinel was arguing with was not helping the throbbing in Pearl's skull but gave her time to get her bearings. Looking around slowly Pearl found that she was on a table... or a bed? She couldn't really tell. She was in a big room filled with beeping machines and swirling things. Something was feeding out paper and another was flashing different colors. The colors hurt Pearl's eyes.

The ability to sit up slowly came back and Pearl wish it hadn't. The moment she was up she proceeded to puke. What little in her there was, it burned on the way up. The discusted sound Spinel and the person with her made, made Pearl's ears ring.

"Please shut up." She mumbled wiping her mouth with her sleeve, her need to act proper just gone in the moment.

"You are in so position to demand anything." Spinel said.

Pearl would of rolled her eyes if blinking didn't hurt so much. "Where am I? This isn't..."

Pearl frowned at the fog in her head. She remembered walking and being thrown by that monster. She remembered falling and hitting concrete really hard. _That would explain the pain_, Pearl thought rubbing her shoulder.

"My monster brought you here. Well, almost. You were supposed to come in unharmed but you just had to try and take control of something _else_ of mine."

"What are you talking bout?"

Spinel rolled her eyes and came right up to Pearl. "You took everything from me Pearl. You took my best friend, my social status, my life! So I took your friends and your baby from you."

Pear heart sank. "What did you do to my sister?! To Steven?!" Pearl head was screaming at her but she didn't stop "What did you do to them?!"

The yelling didn't make Spinel mad. The look of confusion on her face was distracting enough. "Who's Steven?"

"My..." Pearl paused touching her lips for a second before frowning "For someone who was obsessed with Rose you sure don't know a lot do you."

The slap across her face was enough to stun Pearl into silence. Also made her ears ring. "Shut up!"

Spinel walked over to a big monitor and turned it on. Pearl had to shield her eyes for a second before she was able to focus on the screen.

She recognized the building in the video.

When Sapphire had come into there lives she had overheard the place the smaller girl had come from. It had a bad reputation attached to the building and when she looked it up it was she picture as was shown on the screen. The building hadn't changed at all. Wither that was a good or bad thing was yet to be determined.

"I want to see you fall apart." Spinel said hitting some button and turning to smile at Pearl "The way you watched me fall apart." Pearl looked at the screen a bit confused. She watched a window shatter on the building before Spinel paused the video. "Wait, first, who is Steven anyway?"

Pearl blinked "My God Son. You said you hurt my baby but he is the only, well the closest thing I've ever had to having a baby." Pearl frowned.

"What? That wasn't what I was talking about. I meant I took _your_ baby." Spinel said pointing at Pearl before shaking her head "Stop distracting me!"

"I'm so confused..." Pearl said looking back to the screen as it started to play again, Spinel's words not sinking in her head or making much sense. Most likely due to the fogginess still there.

She watched the window shatter again before the slight sound of yelling came through the speakers. As the video continued to play it suddenly moved. The video turned from one direction to the other and then back. As the video suddenly started shaking and moving rapidly towards the building Pearl felt her heart clench. _It's a recording_, Perl thought.

As the video got to the shattered window Pearl felt her heart stop. A clawed hand came out of no where and shot into the window frame. The screams of kids she knew filled her ears. She felt her heart shattering slowly as the arm ripped itself out of the window. The building was crumbling and she could see all her friends there. All of them, even her sister. Her love. Her God Son. The fear on there faces numbed Pearl to the core. As the sound of the monster screeching and trying to force its way into the building made her want to puke again.

_"Jump!" _She her Jasper yelled opening her arms_. "Hurry up!"_

_"Its too far!" _a smaller voice answered "_I won't make it!"_

"_Don't give me that!" _Jasper snapped

Pearl grabbed the front of her shirt as they all moved further back away from the monster winning its fight into the building.

_"Move!" _Bismuth shouted.

_"Donny!" _Sapphire yelled.

Pearl screamed in return as she watched the wall collapse in the feed. "_**NO!" **_Pearl shreaked launching to her feet, just to fall down to the ground. The tears fell from her face as she watched the building fall, herd the roar of the monster as it was crushed, listened to the screams of her loved ones and family get cut off. The tears fell down her face and a choked sob left her lungs as the video turned to static and then went dark.

Spinel walked over to Pearl and smiled down at her.

"W-Why?" Pearl choked out.

"You took my best friends and life away when you moved to town." Spinel answered "So I decided to take everything away from you." She kneeled "I took your friends." She smiled "And your family. To leave you with nothing." She then stood and turned to walk away "Like you left _me_ with nothing."

Pearl was shaking so hard as she watched Spinel walk away.

"Take her down to the sub level."

"T-The sub level?" Jamie said sounding surprised. "But that's where..."

"Do it!" Spinel snapped "They won't mind the company." Spinel laughed as she walked out a far door, her voice echoing back "She's death standing anyway!"

Pearl couldn't really see through her tears where Jamie was taking her. He had let her cry for a long time before gently getting her to her feet. She just let him lead her wherever he wanted. _There gone... There freaking gone... _Pearl's head was a mess as Jamie tapped on her shoulder, _What am I going to do?_

"Pearl, its best you take these."

Pearl scrubbed her eyes while looking at Jamie. His hand was out and he was holding a few...were those pain meds?

"Why?" Pearl sobbed out trying to stop her tears.

"Well people usually are in pain after having a dislocated arm, shoulder, and abortion like you so its best to take something for it."

Pearl nodded and held her hand out. Only after the pill hit her skin did his words sink in.

"Abortion?..." Pearl look at him funny "I wasn't pregnant."

Jamie raised his eyebrow and nodded his head "You are. Well, _were_. You were pritty banged up when we got you so. Thats not to say the kid was going to survive, we were lucky you were alive at all!"

_I was... oh GOD_, Pearl just looked at him. She just blinked and tilted her head to the side.

_That asshole._

The world kept tilting until it was dark again.

**0**

Pearl woke up to something poking her face. At first she tried to ignore it, then she swatted it away. After it kept bothering her she growled. "Either kill me or fuck off."

A deep growl answered back and her eyes shot open. Pearl sat up and a sound between a whimper and shock came out of her. _I must have brain damage_, She thought as she saw not one but three monsters in front of her. Two of them were sitting back away from her but eyeing her curiously. The third was infront of her, its clawed hand just inches from herself. Pearl didn't realize she was holding her breath untill a strangled gasp was dragged into her lungs as the monster infront of her leaned down to be eye level with her.

Pearl watched as the monster tilted its head to one side, then the other. It made a few grunting sounds and the other monsters moved. Pearl whimpered a bit and backed up as they came over. To her surprise the monster closest to her growled and turned to face the other two. As they grunted and growled at each other Pearl backed up some more and slowly got to her feet. She took a few steps back and bumped into something.

"Agh!" Pearl yelped.

There was a zombie behind her. Several in-fact. Pearl herself felt like she was going to die..._again_. She took a few steps back and the zombies followed. They did this dance untill Pearl was backed up against a wall. She was trembling so hard that when the zombie reached out to her she flinched and closed her eyes, curling up into herself as a last defense.

When death didn't immediately come for her she opened her eyes slowly. There was one zombie that was standing right in front of her with its arm raised out towards her. Pearl slowly looked it over as she tried to uncurl her body from the wall. It looked pritty beat up. Its cloths were torn and it was missing a chunk out of its face. More then likely where they had been bittin and died. As her eyes slowly loved down she took it all in. It was pritty good physically for being a limper. When her eyes focused on its outstretched arm she was a bit confused. Its arm had metal pipping sticking out of it, causing its wrist to be bent at a funky angle.

Pearl came off the wall and looked at its banged up arm. It wasn't attacking her or trying to hurt her so...

"Fix?" Pearl said gently pointing at its arm. The zombie in turn grunted and took a staggering step forward. Pearl flinched back against the wall but didn't stay like that long. She had more and more questions with each passing moment but looking down at herself she answered at least one.

_They must think I'm one of them_, She thought looking at her form. Her cloths were torn up and she had a lot of blood on her which she presumed was her own. Ok, she hoped it was hers. She looked back up and took a deep breath. With courage she didn't know she had Pearl stepped forward and took the zombie's arm in her hand.

"H-Hold still." She said. Its flesh was cold and moist when she touched it. It sent a shiver down her spine. As she went about pulling the pipe out of its arm she felt sick. Flesh and muscle came away with the metal where the sound of broken bones shifting and grinding under the rotting skin sounded like sandpaper. It look a bit of tricky manuvering between her flinching and the zombies jerky movements but eventually she got most of the metal out of its arm. "There."

Pearl tossed the metal bits aside and the zombie groaned. It tilted its head and raised its arm, like it was looking at the work she did, before groaning and limping away. It didn't get very far before another one came up and did the same thing. This started a process that lasted a few hours.

_I...I don't even know anymore_, Pearl thought as she worked, _I'm fixing zombies. In the apocalypse. They think I'm one of them. I'm covered in my own blood. That asshole got me-_

Her thought grinded to a hault as Spinel and Jamie popped into her head with everything they had said. She was pregnant. That ass had knocked her up while rapeing her. She wanted to die, puke, and murder Dewey all at the same time.

_**Ca-clink**_

She wanted her sister and Steven.

_**Ca-clink**_

She wanted her friends.

_**Ca-clink**_

She wanted Jasper

_**Ca-clink**_

She wanted-

Pearl looked up and felt her knees go weak. If she could cry there would be a river falling down her face. A strangled noise came out of her mouth. The zombie in front of her groaned and took another step towards her.

_**Ca-clink**_

"Peridot?"

Pearl's hands were shaking as she wrapped them around herself. Watching her best friend limp up to her seemed to be harder then watching her friends die in that video. As Peridot limped further forward Pearl let out a sob.

"Y-You look a mess." Pearl said lifting shaky fingers to fix her friends glasses on her face "You know you c-can't run with your prosthetic on." A shaky laugh left her lips "Y-You'll break before your _good_ leg."

It was hard to look Peridot in her dead eyes but looking her over was no easier. She looked like she had done a mud run with the amount of dirt and grime sticking to her. Her cloths were stained dark with blood and dried... god Pearl hoped that was just mud on her pants. Her arms were littered with bite marks and her one shoulder was so chewed up she was surprised the arm was still attached! Moving down she saw where the clinking sound was comming from. Peridot's prostetic was bowing out.

"Oh Perri..." Pearl mumbled. "Your a mess..."

Pearl knelt down and ran her fingers over the metal poking out. This wasn't the first time Peridot's fake leg had done this. The first time they were walking to class and it bent while going down the stairs. They were lucky Bismuth and Garnet were walking down ahead of them. Peridot had grabbed Pearl and they both fell forward onto the giants. Jasper was behind them and had grabbed there bags on reflex. No-one had gotten hurt and for months they never let it go.

"R-Rememeber when this happened the first time?" Pearl said softly as the tried to roll the pant leg up before just shrugging and ripping it off. "Jasper had grabbed our bags instead of us... You called her a book lover for _months_. She still gets mad about it..."

_Humor won't fix anything..._

Pearl frowned as she looked the prosthetic over. Peridot had a peculiar module. It had screws and pins in weird places but her friend had insisted that it made it lighter and more flexible. For all its worth, all it did was make it more prone to breaking on her while walking. Several pins were out of place and a few important screws were missing. She could quick fix it but...

"I can't fix it while your standing." Pearl said looking up and Peridot and leaning back on her heals.

Pearl jumped in surprise as Peridot groaned at her and sat down. Well, in all fairness, she just fell back onto her butt onto the ground.

_It's as if... _"Peridot?" Pearl looked her dead friend over "Can you understand me?"

Peridot just sat there not moving. Pearl shook her head for being silly_. Don't be dumb_, Her head said as she leaned forward, _She's dead... There all dead. Your the only one left._

Pearl focused on her dead friends leg. She took her ripped up pant leg and ripped it up further into ribbons. Ribbon by ribbon. Inch by Inch Pearl slowly twisted and pulled Peridots prosthetic back together.

"Not the best solution but since going out to a hardware store for parts is going to be a task in itself this will have to do." Pearl said running her fingers over the leg "Just don't try to run a marathon again and you'll be fine."

Pearl herd Peridot grunt and looked up to her face. It was still pretty good looking. No bits of flesh hanging off, not too scratched up. She still had both her eyes at least...although they were glassy and dead. Her glasses were dirty with one of the lenses cracked. Pearl knew it didn't matter, that her best friend was gone, but she still wanted her to feel a little normal, if she could feel at all.

Pearl got up and walked around behind Peridot. "Don't move."

Pearl tore off part of her sleeve and made two ribbons with them. She laid them over Peridot's shoulder and took a breath. Pearl went about parting Peridot's naturally unruly hair when her zombie friend moved. One of her arms reached up and dead fingers touched the ribbon on her shoulder.

"Don't touch them." Pearl said batting her hand away lightly "I'm not done yet."

To her suprise Peridot seemed to listen and dropped her hand. Pearl went about parting her hair in two and slowly braiding it back against her head and into two mini buns on the back of Peridot's head. She would frown and cringe slightly as small bits of hair fell out while she worked. She knew it would happen but it didn't make it easier. When she was done she tied the ribbons to the end of Peridot's hair. When she was done she leaned around and took Peridot's glasses. Her dead friend growled deeply and Pearl rolled her eyes.

"I'm just cleaning them off." She said wiping the dirt and mud off both sides before putting them back of Peridot's face. "No need to be dramatic."

Pearl took a breath and let out a long sigh. She backed up to the wall and sank down. She watched Peridot as she moved. Dead hands came up and brushed her hair a few times, messing up a few strands but otherwise leaving them intact. She messed up her glasses so they were halfway on her face and after a few minutes of annoyed grunts and groaned Pearl rolled her eyes.

"They won't be messed up if you didn't touch them." Pearl leaned forward and dragged her dead friend back to sit with her against the wall "Now hold still."

Pearl fixed her glasses again and after getting a grunt she leaned back against the wall once more. She rested her head back and looked up to the ceiling.

"Think I'm the only on left alive Peridot." Pearl said with a sigh "I don't know what to do now..."

A groan in her ear made a small smile cross her face.

"I hope you can understand me." She reached over and patted her friends cold leg "If not then at least wait till I'm sleep to eat me."

A groan that sounded like it was backed by sarcasm made Pearl chuckle. "Least I got to see you again Peri-dactyl" She said using Steven and Amethyst's nickname for her "Not a bad way to die."

She closed her eyes.

"Not a bad way at all."

**Jasper**

A small hand on her face and something wet hitting her cheek make Jasper groan. "Steven, stop."

"Y-You have to get up." She herd him cry as she took a breath "W-We have to fix Bizzy."

"What?" Jasper groaned a bit as she sat up. Dirt and debree fell away from her as she moved. She felt like she lost a fight with a cement truck. Nothing felt broken but damn did she feel sore all over. That was one hell of a fall.

No sooner was she up-right did Steven start pulling on her arm. "Steven, give me a second bud."

"There's no time!" He cried.

"What do you..." Jasper's words trailed off as she finally opened her eyes and turned around. It was on a prayer itself that the rubble didn't crush them all when the building came down but that didn't stop the pain rocking threw her. The space they were in was like two bubbles separated by a steel garter. Blue was a few feet from her and looked to be unconscious but breathing. A board a few inches to Blue's left shifted and Lapis tumbled out from behind it.

"Fucking hell." She said twisting around to sit on her butt and rotate her foot "Think I sprained my ankle."

"Y-You have to pull it out."

"I can't. She shaking too much."

Jasper looked the same time Lapis did to the other side of the fallen beam.

"Shes going to get an infection if you don't pull the nail out Garnet."

Jasper looked at Lapis the same time she looked at her before looking back.

"Check on Blue." Jasper said getting on her hands and knees. "Steven, stay here ok?"

"N-No. I wanna stay with you!"

"Steven-"

"I'm scared Jazzy!" Steven cried hugging into Jasper's arm tight "I'm afraid that if you move you'll go away!"

"Hey bud." Jasper said ruffling Steven's hair "I need to help Bizzy right? I can't do that if I stay right here and besides, you have Lapis and Blue on this side. So your not going to be alone ok?"

Steven sniffled big but didn't move.

"Would it make you feel better if I talked to you while I was on the other side helping them? So you know I'm still here?"

"The whole time?" Steven looked up with big round eyes. His face was smeared with what she was hoping was dirt and it made I'm look so much more pitiful when his pulled out his puppy dog eyes.

"Promise. Now go on over to Lapis."

"C'mer Steven." Lapis said opening her arms. She had scooted herself so she was sitting next to Blue's head. Steven squeezed Jasper's arm the best he could before letting go. After watching Steven settle into Lapis's lap Jasper turned her attention to the sound of crying and wheezing. Slowly Jasper crawled across the space around her to the fallen beam.

Looking around the beam was a sight to see. Garnet had her back to the giant. To Garnet's right was Ruby. She was holding Sapphire's hand and was crying. Jasper couldn't see Sapphire but she could hear her. To the left she could see Bismuth's feet. She could see her friend bend her legs and then straighten them out in wheezing breaths. With all the years of sports under her belt she knew the signs of an injury when she saw them.

With a frown on her face Jasper carefully moved over the lowest part of the steel beam to the other side. Her foot caught and with a grunt she landed next to Garnet with a huff.

"N-Nice landing ya graceful butterfly." Bismuth said. "Pearl would be proud."

"Oh shit." Jasper said looking up.

Bismuth was laying on her back. Two steel rods were sticking out on her chest. One that looked way too close to her heart and another further down. By the way the second was positioned it looked like it managed to get between her ribs. She had one hand holding the rod in her chest while the other was holding one of Sapphire's hands down. Sapphire was sitting right beside her. Garnet had Sapphire's face in her hands while Ruby held Sapphire's other hand. The small girl herself was shaking with tears falling down her face. Tears mixed with blood on her right cheek. A nail was sticking out of her eye.

"J-Jasper?" Steven's voice called to her.

"I'm right here bud." Jasper said getting up and crawling over to sit next to Garnet. "What do you need me to do?"

"Pull the nail out." Bismuth said. "She will get a blood infection if you don't."

"N-No!" Sapphire cried trying to turn her face away. Lucky for everyone Garnet's grip was like steel. "D-Don't touch it!"

"Sapphy-"

"I-It hurt's!"

"It's gonna hurt more if we leave it." Bismuth said. "It has to come out."

"Jasper." Garnet said.

Jasper looked to her friend with uncertanty. Garnet was usually the strong one between them all. She was the rock of reason when things got chaotic. Right now however she could see that she was barly holding it together. She cared about Ruby and Sapphire so much. At times it could make her more overbarring then Pearl when it came to there saftey. Jasper could see that it was too much for Garnet. That this wasn't something she could do. Hell, she was barely holding still!

With a nod Jasper shifted to sit next to Sapphire and face her.

"Nice and quick." Bismuth said.

Sapphire's voice was starting to hitch and Jasper did a very non Jasper thing. In a motion that surprised the others, she reached up and pet the trembling girls hair. She had seen Pearl and Blue doing it countless times in a comforting way. She never understood why they did it but it seemed to work.

"Take a deep breath for me ok?" Jasper said "I'll try to make it quick."

"Mhmm" Sapphire hummed.

Jasper shifted so she was leaning very close to Sapphire. She put one hand up and onto her face. She placed her pointer finger below the girls eye and her middle finger above it. She moved them as close as she could to the nail without touching it. She wanted to get the nail out without ripping her whole eye out along the way. She was way too strong for her own good most times. She had broken more then one door shutting them too hard and more then one tool while fixing things by using too much strength.

"I'll pull on three ok?" Jasper said raising her hand and pinching the nail head between her fingers as carefully as she could. "Ready?"

After a few moments Garnet nodded. "Go."

"One... Two."

_**Yank**_

Sapphire screamed in pain and Jasper pulled the nail out of her eye. As soon as it was clear Garnet let go of Sapphire's face and several hands came up to put pressure on her eye.

"Jasper." Bismuth grabbed her friends leg getting her attention off the crying girl. "You need *_**cough**_* need to wrap her eye. When you get out of here its gonna attract everything with the need to feed. Rip off my sleeve. Not gonna need it when I go."

"Shut up." Jasper growled ripping Bismuth's sleeve off and handing it to Garnet. "Your not staying here."

"Not like I'm gonna be skipping out of here with flowers in my hair."

Jasper frowned as she looked her friend over. There was little blood around the rods sticking out of her. "I could try pulling them out."

"Bad idea." Garnet said. Jasper looked back at her and watched her work. "There's little blood coming out of the wounds. That mean the rods are acting like a plug, stopping her from bleeding." She tied off the makeshift wrap around Sapphire's head. "You pull them out one of two things will happen. Bismuth will either bleed out or, as it stands right now, her internal bleeding will kill her before we can get them out."

"We have to try something." Jasper growled.

"Look." Bismuth said grabbing her friends hand "I can see daylight from here. You need to get the others and get out. Your gonna be in a lot of t-*_**cough**_*trouble if you get a hoard down here."

"I'm not just gonna leave you here." Jasper growled louder. She didn't want to leave anyone else behind. They already lost Amethyst to the dead. They lost Peridot to moronic scared morons. They lost Pearl to fools bravery. She didn't want to lose Bismuth to a monsters destruction.

"Not gonna have a lot of choice." Bismuth choked on her words a bit as she closed her eyes tight. Jasper felt her squeeze her hand tight as a tear fell down her dark cheek. She could feel the pain radiating off her. She could see it in her face, feel it in every breath she took. Jasper wasn't sure if the shaking of there hands was from her or not.

"I have to do something." Jasper said "We have to at least try."

"Jasper." Garnet's gentle hand on her arm stung. "We can't-"

"J-Jasper?"

"I'm still here Steven." Jasper called over her shoulder. "You keeping our girls safe?"

There was a small little laugh from Steven as Lapis answered "Yup. Noone can get past '_Serious Steven'_."

"Do it." Bismuth suddenly said.

"Bismuth."

"We gotta try something Fusion."

"There's gotta be an easier way."

"My Bismuth is closing its doors." She said with a smile "Gotta have my final blow out sale before we shut the doors for good."

"And you say my sense of humor is bad." Jasper said.

"That's cuz you constantly make lude jokes at Pearl."

"She's my girlfriend. I can make lude jokes all I want."

"Not at first she wasn't. Can't tell you how many times I almost punched your lights out."

"Like you could beat me."

"Wouldn't be hard."

"Oh really?"

"All I need to do is poke a hole in that big ego of yours."

A round of coughs cut off Jasper's reply. Bismuth squeezed her hand as a few forced breaths choked out of her throat. Out of the corner of her eye Jasper watched Garnet usher Ruby and Sapphire to the far corner. She was instructing them not to look as Bismuth got her attention again.

"Listen Jasper." Bismuth said "You gotta get back to Beach city. Get to my house and into the garage. Everything you need to survive is in there."

"What are you talking about?" Jasper asked as Garnet came back over to them.

"The pass code is 7982." *_**cough**_* "Get in there and give them the Bismuth."

"Just shut up." Jasper growled "You can show me how to do that when we all get there."

With a nod to Garnet Jasper got onto her knees. She wrapped her hands around the rod in Bismuth's chest as Garnet placed her hands on Bismuth's shoulders. With a few deep breath Jasper glanced over her shoulder at Ruby and Sapphire. "Don't look. Steven! Cover your ears for me bud!"

"Is Bizzy ok?!" His small voice called.

Jasper herd Lapis shush him as she looked back at Bismuth. "This is gonna hurt like hell."

"Were _in_ hell there sweet cheeks. Rather die from your weak arms then to a hoard."

Jasper scoffed and got a choked chuckle in return. "I'm ready."

"On three." Jasper said "Try not to cry like a little bitch."

"Oh like you when Pearl kicked your ass the first time?"

"Nah, when she kicked yours."

With a breath Bismuth nodded.

"One."

The three of them took a breath.

"Two."

Jasper flexed her fingers and tightened her grip.

"Th-"

"Wait wait wait!"

They let out a shaky groan and frowned. "If you don't want this just say so."

"The way out." Bismuth said. "Before I forget." She raised her left arm and pointed up over Garnet's shoulder to the high point of the fallen beam in there space. "The suns comming up from that direction. You gotta have the kids go first incase the rest of this collapses on you all. So least they will live."

"I go last." Jasper said rolling her eyes "So if I die down here we can be ghosts together. I see how it is."

"Yea yea." Bismuth said dropping her arm and grabbing Garnet's again. "Lets go big buff cheeto puff."

Jasper nodded and got ready. She repositioned her hands on the rod for the best grip she could get in this tiny space. She couldn't even stand, she would be hunched over pretty bad if she tried. Lapis was probably the only one who could stand in this space and have to only raise her hand just a few inches from her head to touch the debris above. Not ideal room for two giants trying to help out a third.

Before Jasper started counting she paused. "Garnet."

"Your killing me." Bismuth groaned.

"We should get the others out of here first." Jasper jerked her heads to the kids behind her "If this goes wrong we do more then lose Bis."

She could see the wheels turning in Garnet's head. It didn't take long for her to agree and move away. She went over to Ruby and Sapphire as Jasper crawled over to the beam. "Lapis, how's your ankle?"

"Hurts like hell." She said with a frown. "Don't think I can stand."

"How's your company?"

"Scared and out cold."

"Still breathing."

"...Yup."

Jasper frowned as Garnet spoke up. "Think you can climb?"

"Think so."

"Steven." Garnet said. The small boy pulled his face out of Lapis' neck to show is wet face. "Come here."

It took a little coaxing but Steven got up and walked over to Garnet. "Yea?"

"I want you and Ruby to climb up out of here first ok?" Garnet said wiping a tear from his face. "I need you to be brave for me. Can you do that?"

"You coming too?" Steven sniffled.

"After you and the others get out safe." Garnet said

"Promise?"

"I'll be right behind you."

"Ok." Steven said wiping his tears and flexing his arms. "Serious Steven, activate!"

Jasper couldn't help but smile a little as Steven turned to Ruby and made robot sounds with each step. He came up to her and saluted her "Commander Ruby! Lead the way Ma'am!"

Ruby smiled and jumped to her feet. "Yes Sir soldier Steven!"

Jasper moved as close to the opening as she could at the top of the beam. She offered Ruby her hand first. She helped Ruby up the beam and held onto her has far as her arm could reach. After letting go her and Garnet peered up the hole. They watched Ruby climb a bit further up before stopping and looking down at them. "You can send Steven up!"

"C'mon Sapphy."

Jasper pulled back to see Steven holding Sapphire's hand as she headed towards the beam.

"You need to go first Steven." Garnet said.

"If I do no-one can guide Sapphire since she has a boo boo on her head." He said making a good point.

Noone argued with him.

Garnet took Steven's hand while Jasper held onto Sapphire. She waited until Steven was up the hole before helping Sapphire up next. Both girls watched as the three kids got further and further towards sunlight before they stopped again. This made the giants frown.

"What's wrong?" Jasper called.

"We can't reach the next step!" Ruby called "We need help!"

"Guess that's my cue." Lapis said.

Garnet crawled over the beam and over to Lapis. She checked on Blue before grabbing Lapis around the chest and pulling her back towards the beam. Once they reached it Jasper reached over and helped Garnet back Lapis up to the opening. They couldn't reach up like they did with the kids so it was going to be a much harder climb for there blue haired friend.

"You going to be ok getting up there?" Jasper asked.

Lapis looked up "Long as I go backwards it should be only difficult."

"Nice to know in times of crisis your humor will save us all." Jasper said with an eye roll.

"Nice to know I'm still useful." Lapis said as she started to climb. "See you top side."

To say her journey was slow was putting it nicely. Every movement sent curses down to the giants ears. It felt like forever but when she reached the kids they breathed a sigh of releafe. They watched as all four of them got futher and futher until they stopped again.

"Were almost out!" Lapis called down to them "This is as far as I can go on my own!"

"Will be up in a few!" Jasper called up before her and Garnet sat back on there legs. Jasper looked at her friend before over to Blue. "Move her over to this side. Feel more comfortable with her in my line of sight."

With a nod Garnet helped move Blue over to the other side of the beam and soon the giants were positioned around Bismuth. There friend was going down hill fast and they knew it. Her breath was a bit shallow and she was fighting to keep her eyes open.

"B-Blueberry ok there?" Bismuth said turning to look as the unconscious girl "She ain't moving."

"She fine." Jasper said "Still better looking then you too."

With a chuckled Bismuth was ready. "Lets do this."

"One."

_Deep breath_

"Two."

"Three."

The first pull was hard. Bismuth yelling in pain was harder. It only took a few moments of pulling for Jasper to realize that this was hopeless. As she shifted to her feet, putting all her strength onto her pull, she knew it was over. The rod was inbedded into the debree below them that there was no way this was comming out of the ground. That Bismuth was walking out with them. Her cry was loud as blood trickled past her lips. Her fists were holding onto Garnet so tight her knuckles split. She was thrashing her feet on the debris below her and it made Jasper stop, unwilling to force more pain into her.

"Agh!" Bismuth spit out blood as Jasper let go of the rod and fell back onto her butt. She wiped a tear from her face as she looked away from her dyeing friend. Bismuth whimpered in pain and Jasper took one of her hands. "J-Jasper."

"I'm not doing that again."

"It was a good try." Bismuth wheezed "Even with your baby grip."

Jasper smiled.

"Should of had Steven pull. Stronger then you."

"Super heroes are always stronger then the villain's."

"Keep telling yourself that you marshmellow." Bismuth wheezed as blood came out of her nose. "T-Think its time you guys got going."

"Bis..."

"Not like I'm gonna last much longer."

Jasper wiped another tear from her eye as she squeezed Bismuth's hand. "We... We could put you out."

"Nah." Bismuth said closing her eyes for a moment and taking a breath "Save your ammo for the runners. If I turn I'm just gonna *_**cough cough**_* gonna be a raw shish-kabab. Now take my sleeve, gonna have to tie Blue to ya to get her out."

Garnet was the one to move. She ripped Bismuth's other sleeve and went over to Blue as Jasper stayed put. When she went to move Bismuth got her attention. "Look after them, alright? Hold them together till you find Pearl. Then run like hell."

"You got it Bis."

"Don't join us too fast."

"There gonna drag me down kickin and screamin."

"Nice doing Buismuth with you."

With that last remark Bismuth closed her eyes. All her effort now was focused on breathing. She had nothing more to say. Neither did Jasper. She patted the back of her friends hand before letting go and going over to Garnet. She had Blue propped up against her as she tied her wrists together.

"I'll carry her out." Jasper said taking the bound arms and pulling them over her head. "Just guide me."

With a nod Garnet climbed up first. Jasper adjusted Blue on her back so her head was on her shoulder before stepping up onto the beam. She looked at Bismuth one last time before starting her climb. It was a very slow decent to sunlight. Every few steps something would shift or an unsettling groan would force Garnet and her to stop moving. Several times they had to climb back down and move a certain way so Blue wouldn't be hit by any jutting out metal or glass. When they reached the others they stopped.

"What's the plan for when we get out of here anyway?" Lapis asked as Jasper rested against a wooden beam for Garnet to check on Blue. "We don't exactly have our stuff anymore."

That was a good point. What little supplies they had was currently burred under a crumbled up building that almost became there tomb. They had nothing to defend themselves with and nothing to eat. Top it off they were down another to there group and two were out for the count. The odds were stacked further in there odds but Jasper wasn't going to give up.

"We do what Bis wanted us to do." Jasper said grabbing a jagged pipe and yanking it from the rubble around them. She looked each of them in the eye before turning up to the sun.

"We survive."


End file.
